tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48109456723430716592017-12-25T04:11:11.543-05:00Fangirling DailyA high-strung feminist navigates through fandom.Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-67753872337823866082015-08-28T15:00:00.001-04:002015-08-28T15:00:22.008-04:00An Open Letter to Jon Stewart as He Begins His New LifeDear Jon Stewart,<br /><br />I write this with the full knowledge that you will most likely never see it. Admittedly, this isn’t a typical fan letter but nonetheless, since I have survived roughly three weeks with you or <i>The Daily Show</i>, I felt I deserved to reach out to you.<br /><br />First of all, congratulations on a job exceptionally well done and best of wishes on your future plans. I just wanted to take the time to personally thank you for 16 years of incredible work at Comedy Central. I’ve no doubt you’ve heard compliment after compliment (and angry diatribes from your critics, which also count as compliments) over the years and especially in recent months. So I’m sure you realize you've bowed out with a bang.<br /><br />Still, it would feel wrong for me to not at least attempt to explain how important your time at <i>The Daily Show</i> has been to me and my family.<br /><br />I’ll try not bog this down with rambling details so long story short, my dad is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. I’m sure that was a twist you didn’t see coming in this, right? Sadly, we all saw it coming and now that it’s full blown, it’s getting scarily easy to reminisce about the past. I was never one for nostalgia but when the man you know as your father has been replaced with an entirely different, weaker, more vulnerable individual who can no longer communicate, it becomes one of your favorite pastimes.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />So what does this have to do with anything? And why in God’s name would I include this in what should just be a gushing fan letter? Well, I mention it because there were only a few men in this world that my dad truly loved. He idolized Humphrey Bogart, definitely nursed a crush on George Clooney, and, because he was a bleeding heart liberal, admired Michael Moore. But honestly, you were always at the top of that list.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EnLJQqlj2-g/VeCvFRvyHTI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/fVcp6xzxSTk/s1600/tumblr_inline_nsiiwbFVKp1rt16v8_400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EnLJQqlj2-g/VeCvFRvyHTI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/fVcp6xzxSTk/s400/tumblr_inline_nsiiwbFVKp1rt16v8_400.png" width="255" /></a></div>I was 12 when my parents started watching you on <i>The Daily Show</i> in 2000 and ever since then, you have been the voice in the back of my head: the voice for reason, compassion, humor, and an inability to swallow bullshit. Together, you and my dad inspired me more than any other men in my life, and for most of my rocky and angst-filled teenage years, I wanted to be a muckraking political journalist. My teenage diaries are filled with entries of angry and vague political manifestos and glowing mentions of you and <i>The Daily Show</i>, next to discussions of the Backstreet Boys, of course. You most likely never anticipated being written about in a 13 year old girl’s diary (at least I hope not). My high school journalism teacher wrote in my yearbook that I had a “fire in my belly to tell it like is.” I got that from you and my dad.<br /><br />You see, my dad was the most politically aware person in my life. He read everything, watched the news faithfully, rented documentaries for the family, and expounded the importance of being a civically-engaged and socially progressive citizen. My dad believed that simply being aware of what the hell was going on around us was the key to democracy and I was repeatedly amazed when visiting friends or acquaintances at how unaware so many people seemed to be. Of course, my dad’s teachings had a liberal bias but he was more concerned that I learn to think for myself and dig for the answers than agree with him (though I tended to agree with him).<br /><br />So, as a family, we watched you on <i>The Daily Show</i> religiously. As I said, I was only 12 and horrifically unhappy. That same year, I read, for the first time, George Orwell’s <i>Animal Farm</i> at the encouragement of my fifth grade teacher. I knew nothing of socialism and only knew Stalin by name but reading <i>Animal Farm</i> in the back of the classroom gave me my first epiphany: sometimes, politicians lie to us. I haven’t been the same since.<br /><br />It would’ve been easy to just get more depressed (I certainly wouldn’t have needed much help then) but <i>The Daily Show</i> made it all easier to bear. Instead of getting angry and disillusioned (though I did have my moments during George W. Bush’s presidency), I laughed. My entire family did; my dad the loudest.<br /><br />You and the rest of the rotating cast of <i>The Daily Show</i> became a source of comfort for us and when I was 17, my father took me to see you live at Count Basie Theatre for my birthday. I can still feel the ice slipping underneath my feet as we ran down the block together to make the show on time. I cherish that memory to this day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4ztLac79Qk/VeCvQAZcHWI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/EtHgqfygRn8/s1600/tumblr_inline_nsiiypGycY1rt16v8_400.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4ztLac79Qk/VeCvQAZcHWI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/EtHgqfygRn8/s1600/tumblr_inline_nsiiypGycY1rt16v8_400.png" /></a></div><br />When things got really terrible, you seemed to understand. I have a particular memory burned into my consciousness of sitting in my room at age 13 only a few weeks after September 11th. I was watching you discuss that awful day and when I saw you begin to speak, I screamed for my mom to come and watch. We sat together at the edge of my bed and cried with you.<br /><br />You’ve actually made me cry a few times, you bastard. Same with Stephen Colbert. The both of you made me lose it most unattractively during Indecision 2008 when Barack Obama was announced as the President. It didn’t help that I had doubted such an outcome was possible and was suffering from a cold. Luckily, I was alone in my dorm so my walking around in circles sobbing was seen by no one.<br /><br />So, before this gets even longer, I just wanted to say thank you. You definitely deserve a break and I’m excited to see where <i>The Daily Show</i> will be headed. I just have to admit that when you announced your departure, I cried because my dad wasn’t even cognitive enough to understand what I was telling him. I ran into the bedroom where he was laying in his hospital bed and told him anyway because in the months leading up to his rapid decline and loss of speech, he still laughed whenever I turned on the TV and said, “Look, Dad, it’s Jon Stewart.” He had no idea what you were saying but he recognized your face as someone important to him.<br /><br />So thank you for giving my dad that.<br /><br />Good luck with everything,<br />Kerry<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6DurQnqLEE/VeCvQFWvWJI/AAAAAAAAA2k/sCdtbDs93DQ/s1600/tumblr_inline_nsiiwmu9iu1rt16v8_500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6DurQnqLEE/VeCvQFWvWJI/AAAAAAAAA2k/sCdtbDs93DQ/s320/tumblr_inline_nsiiwmu9iu1rt16v8_500.jpg" width="218" /></a>PS. If anyone would like to join the cause to end Alzheimer’s, <a href="http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_join_the_cause.asp" target="_blank">please consider donating or volunteering</a>. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2015″ and “by 2025, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million” but we can end this now if we work together. Please consider joining the cause. On behalf of my family and the millions who are affected by this terrible disease, thank you.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6DurQnqLEE/VeCvQFWvWJI/AAAAAAAAA2k/sCdtbDs93DQ/s1600/tumblr_inline_nsiiwmu9iu1rt16v8_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-57730570869401225882014-07-23T19:37:00.004-04:002014-07-23T19:37:57.562-04:00Happy anniversary, Batman.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eYaFL0izdDk/U9BHPDBhqTI/AAAAAAAAA0s/AJhm388lNQo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eYaFL0izdDk/U9BHPDBhqTI/AAAAAAAAA0s/AJhm388lNQo/s1600/1.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>I could write about how no fictional character has so quickly and irrevocably changed my life like Batman has. I could write that it's only been about six years since I read my first Batman comic and since then, I've started my own comic book blog, worked in the comic book industry, got paid to go to San Diego Comic-Con, and met my own personal heroes and icons of the industry. I could even write about the fact that it's because of Batman that I truly became a gamer, that I learned to love comic books, animated series, and to find inspiration in characters as varied as Oracle, Huntress, Supergirl, Nightwing, and more.<br /><br />I could talk about how thoroughly important this man is to me and how his Rogues Gallery is a safe source of excitement and suspense for me. I could even talk about the Joker and how he has fired my creativity and imagination more than any other fictional characters has in ages.<br /><br />But all of this would take far too long.<br /><br />Instead, I just want to take a moment to celebrate the character who changed my life, who opened my eyes to an entirely new culture, and who makes me laugh, angry, and inspires me to keep going.<br /><br />I love Batman.<br /><br />And today, on his 75th birthday, I want to say thank you to a character who has given me and countless others so much since 1939.Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-61538391916880832232014-07-14T16:37:00.002-04:002014-07-14T16:37:54.899-04:00The Gender Trouble and “Homophobic Nightmare” of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Dark_knight_returns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Dark_knight_returns.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Returns#mediaviewer/File:Dark_knight_returns.jpg">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table>It's been entirely too long that I've neglected my personal blog. Forgive me, little blog. I still love you.<br /><br />In order to celebrate my return to Fangirling Daily, I wanted to show that yes, you can actually write about comic books, fandom, and Batman in a scholarly setting. Comic books aren't just for recreation but academia, too!<br /><br />To prove it, I wanted to share a selection of a paper I wrote back when I was a graduate student studying English. The course I was taking was called "Gender Trouble" so of course, being a feminist, I enjoyed researching and writing this paper. Being a Batman fan, I loved it even more.<br /><br />I don't want to post all of it because a) it's entirely too long b) that would be self-indulgent of me and c) as someone who hopes to be a professor someday, I am always nervous about and against plagiarism. Nonetheless, I felt it was too good to hoard to myself, so enjoy my self-important and critical look at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Returns">Frank Miller's <i>Batman: The Dark Knight Returns</i></a>.<br /><br /><style><!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b>The Gender Trouble and “Homophobic Nightmare” of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Dark Knight Returns</i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i>Working in Hollywood recently I’ve come to realize how many prohibitions there really are against even touching one group or another, to a point where the villain can’t be female, can’t be gay, can’t be black. …Anyway, yeah, the homophobic nightmare is very much part of the Batman/Joker mythos. It’s always been there, I just spelled it out a little more plainly. </i></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: right; text-autospace: none;">Frank Miller, 1987 (Sharrett 37)</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></b></div><a name='more'></a><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: right; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>The 1980s saw a resurgence of comic book popularity both among dedicated fans and the general public. Quite suddenly, comic books were being promoted as “graphic novels” in an attempt to dissociate these longer, more adult titles from traditional comic books and also increase mainstream readership and acclaim (Sabin 165). The forerunner of this movement was Frank Miller and his opus, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The Dark Knight Returns</i> (1986), which sold out quickly as single issue comics. DC Comics, sensing the mass appeal of this revamping of the company’s most popular hero, promptly issued it as a graphic novel and “in this format it became the first original superhero work to be reviewed seriously, and often favorably, in the mainstream press” (Wright 267). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark Knight Returns</i> has gone on to be considered one of the best Batman comics, if not one of the best comics ever published (Grossman). Since its publication, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Returns</i> has been praised, analyzed and ultimately lauded by critics from various backgrounds. One crucial aspect of this novel that has not fully been explored is the use of gender in the text. More so than in other mainstream comics, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Returns</i> explores, subverts and upholds traditional understandings of gender. In this tale, we have multiple uses of gender trouble, all of which reflect the socio-political atmosphere of the time of its publication. Furthermore, the gender trouble is often openly displayed in an effort to disturb the reader and provide stark contrasts and binaries between characters. Miller’s rampant application and exploitation of gender trouble will be explored in an effort to shed more light on this often neglected but critical element of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Returns</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">---</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TNRKitqU9EM/UYh_OA22uuI/AAAAAAAAB8M/y1uGWvvLeT0/s1600/isjokergay2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TNRKitqU9EM/UYh_OA22uuI/AAAAAAAAB8M/y1uGWvvLeT0/s1600/isjokergay2.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://dkreturns.blogspot.com/2013/05/is-joker-gay.html">Blogger</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">When asked why he decided to portray the Joker as “gay”, Miller simply replied in the classic simplistic cop-out of “it seemed like a good idea at the time” (Sharrett 37). Try as he might, it is impossible to cast aside Miller’s characterization of the Joker as an off-hand stylistic choice. There are extreme political and social implications in this work and the queered Joker is a reflection of these. In fact, Miller goes on to contradict himself in the same interview, claiming that he perceived the Joker as queered even though “I know we live in very rough times in terms of persecution of gays and gay stereotyping, but I wasn’t trying to address this as much as portray this villain in a way I felt to be sensible and interesting” (37). This is a very troubling and complex statement by the author. For one thing, he seems comfortable in arguing that it is sensible, almost normal and expected, for a villain to possess gay stereotypes. Furthermore, he is implying that he characterized the Joker in this manner without any political or cultural influence, which, when looking not only at the previous quote but at the actual text of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Returns</i>, is preposterous</span>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">---</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Carrie_Kelley_(Robin).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Carrie_Kelley_(Robin).jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_versions_of_Robin">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><style></style>What can be made of [Robin] then? She appears to flow between various understandings of masculinity and femininity, but is nonetheless kept on the peripheral. According to Halberstam, it should be of no surprise that the core embodiment of female masculinity in this text would be the mere sidekick: “female masculinities are framed as the rejected scraps of dominant masculinity in order that male masculinity may appear to be the real thing” (935). In other words, Carrie seems to exists merely as a contrast against the correct masculinity of Batman. Masculinity can best be illustrated, however, through the use of female bodies and it has become more commonplace to recognize that it can be constructed by female-born people as well (936, 943). It is clear that the female-born Carrie does perform this function, emphasizing not only her constructed masculinity, but also that of Batman’s such as when she eagerly refers to him as “sir” and thinks of him as a general in a war (Miller 198), a distinctly masculine but socially constructed title. What has not been established, however, is just why Miller elected to engage with this gender trouble in his text. The Joker has a much more straightforward reasoning behind him, but Carrie is a bit more ambiguous. One explanation delves far beyond the universe of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Returns</i>and argues that the inclusion of a female Robin was done in an effort to quell any hints of a homosocial or homosexual relationship between Batman and Robin. The Batman and Robin relationship has long been plagued with rumors of an unsavory bond between the two, stretching back to 1954’s famous social psychological text, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seduction of the Innocent</i>, in which Fredric Wertham warns against the dangers of comic books: “Only someone ignorant of the fundamentals of psychiatry and of the psychopathology of sex can fail to realize a subtle atmosphere of homoeroticism which pervades the adventure of the mature ‘Batman’ and his young friend ‘Robin’” (qtd. in Medhurst 149). Jokes about the characters’ occasional descent into camp and homoeroticism have continued throughout Batman’s history (150) and therefore, Miller was well aware of this perception of the Dark Knight. Did he cast Robin as Carrie to completely avoid this perception? N.G. Tipton, in his article on the gender trouble in Miller’s work, certainly thinks so: “While I do not meant to imply that Miller is in any way homophobic or homosexually panicked, his ‘troubling’ of Robin's gender suggests that he, along with many comics business-people and aficionados alike, was troubled by Barman and Robin's continuing homoerotic legacy” (324). For Tipton and other critics, Carrie performs the function of a much-needed female presence, elevating her from a sidekick to a sexual figure. Even though she is designed as an androgynous tomboy, Carrie allegedly disrupts any fear of homosocial bonds by expressing female heteroerotic desires, which Tipton argues, was Miller’s direct intention (329). These desires can be seen when Carrie follows members of the Mutant gang to the dump purely to see Batman, sounding very much like a girl with a crush: “I loathe the dump. But it’s the Mutants – and it sounds major. So he might be there…” (Miller 71). Miller himself renounced this theory, arguing for the very same mentoring relationship that the original Batman and Robin were supposed to have had: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Come on. It’s a father/child relationship. It’s clearly defined as such. This is where this stuff gets preposterous. …Batman isn’t gay. His sexual urges are so drastically sublimated into crime-fighting that there’s no room for any other emotional activity. Notice how insipid are the stories where Batman has a girlfriend or some sort of romance. It’s not because he’s gay, but because he’s borderline pathological, he’s obsessive. He’d be much healthier if he were gay. (Sharrett 38)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-82550946678824396202013-12-31T10:51:00.000-05:002013-12-31T10:51:07.597-05:00Top 5 Best Episodes of 2013: Episode #1... <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mx0ArZ5Amds/UsLmcNSUT3I/AAAAAAAAAw4/jNUxqqeW6rg/s1600/Simon_&amp;_Marcy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mx0ArZ5Amds/UsLmcNSUT3I/AAAAAAAAAw4/jNUxqqeW6rg/s320/Simon_&amp;_Marcy.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Adventure Time - Season Five </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s New Year’s Eve so I’m going to cheat a little for my final entry in my Top 5 Favorite Episodes of 2013.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">For my #1 spot, I’ve chosen Adventure Time as it has spent 2013 consistently improving and becoming one of the best science fiction and animated shows on American television.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s nearly impossible to choose one episode as the best of the year since 2013 gave us “Jake the Dad,” “Mystery Dungeon,” “Bad Little Boy,” “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">The Party's Over, Isla de Señorita,” “Time Sandwich,” “Love Games,” “Dungeon Train,” “The Pit,” “Root Beer Guy,” and the amazing and moving “Simon &amp; Marcy.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">If Adventure Time had only given us “Simon &amp; Marcy” this year, it would’ve proven that this show is incredibly well-written, mature, funny, and at times, painful. But it also gave us plenty of incredible and hilarious episodes, which opened up the universe of Adventure Time far beyond the Land of Ooo. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BmFDV3PdjQw/UsLm3-NtSQI/AAAAAAAAAxE/7il7YLiXJJ0/s1600/tumblr_mk3jq123cy1rnuvhio2_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BmFDV3PdjQw/UsLm3-NtSQI/AAAAAAAAAxE/7il7YLiXJJ0/s1600/tumblr_mk3jq123cy1rnuvhio2_250.gif" /></a></div><br /><br /> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">“Simon &amp; Marcy,” which is arguably the strongest episode of the year, not only gave us a better understanding of the history of Adventure Time and the Great Mushroom War but also showed us how deep and touching Marceline and the Ice King’s relationship was. The Ice King has evolved from being a one-note silly villain to a truly tragic and dynamic character. Many critics, myself included, believe that the Ice King represents Alzheimer’s and Marceline’s gentle and warm love for him will both warm and break your heart.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">While the rest of the year never matched the poignant perfection of “Simon &amp; Marcy,” it still gave us very strong episodes in which we met the hilarious Jake Jr., got a better understanding of the madness of the Lemongrabs, discovered Finn’s tragic flaw in always needing to be a hero, recognized Princess Bubblegum’s questionable morals, and saw both Finn and Jake realize the ambiguously ethical nature of the Candy Kingdom.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp; </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wh8xbMvD_ns/UsLncwENhQI/AAAAAAAAAxM/bip82LLlh5I/s1600/2400_8972.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wh8xbMvD_ns/UsLncwENhQI/AAAAAAAAAxM/bip82LLlh5I/s320/2400_8972.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Like Finn and his same-aged voice actor, Adventure Time has matured and evolved into something both childlike and incredibly adult. It can be scary and sad at times but more often that not, you have to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. I think that is, after all, the secret to being a grown-up.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><i>All images copyright Cartoon Network</i></span> <i>and </i></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><i>Time Warner</i></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-33787755212791686992013-12-29T15:55:00.001-05:002013-12-31T10:49:55.646-05:00Top 5 Best Episodes of 2013: Episode #2... <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xet4hAgyeV0/UsCJ5-9E_lI/AAAAAAAAAv8/AH-e9qGtWHE/s1600/elementary_timesdispatch.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xet4hAgyeV0/UsCJ5-9E_lI/AAAAAAAAAv8/AH-e9qGtWHE/s200/elementary_timesdispatch.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Elementary 1.12 – “M.”</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m a huge fan of Elementary and could probably write essays on multiple episodes’ sheer amazingness. From Lucy Liu’s pitch perfect portrayal of Joan Watson and Jonny Lee Miller’s eerily canonically accurate Sherlock Holmes to the awesome diversity of the cast and sets and Sherlock and Joan’s partnership of mutual respect, Elementary has become the best version of the Sherlock Holmes canon in years and one of the best dramas on network television right now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But it was “M.” that demonstrated the dark side to Elementary and opened up Joan and Sherlock’s universe beyond the brownstone. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal">“M.” gave us what few renditions of Sherlock Holmes have: an accurate and scary Sebastian Moran. For once, Moran was how he was described as in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/108/108-h/108-h.htm#linkH2H_4_0001">The Empty House</a>”: an impossibly dangerous man capable of great evil.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">His menacing presence was captured perfectly by Vinnie Jones, and his scenes with Sherlock were suspenseful and enlightening (though not always for the best).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvUpSsMVqDM/UsCLuC0j5zI/AAAAAAAAAwg/sswXI2U_A6U/s1600/tumblr_mgizu1HkZX1qa0fi0o1_r1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvUpSsMVqDM/UsCLuC0j5zI/AAAAAAAAAwg/sswXI2U_A6U/s200/tumblr_mgizu1HkZX1qa0fi0o1_r1_500.gif" width="173" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The power in this episode did not lay in the violence, which was somewhat graphic, or the twist that Sherlock and Joan were chasing a hired assassin, not a serial killer. It was in the performances of the three main players: Moran, Sherlock and Joan </div>&nbsp; <br /><div class="MsoNormal">What is so great about Elementary is the strength in Sherlock and Joan’s relationship. At this point in the series, they are at a crossroads: Joan’s contract as Sherlock’s sober companion is up and she is contemplating taking on a new client. It’s obvious to the viewer that Sherlock is not ready to lose Joan and his already raw state is exacerbated by the apparent return of the same killer who murdered the mysterious Irene Adler. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The viewer therefore felt suspense not only for the solving of the crimes and the capture of Moran but to see what turn Joan and Sherlock’s relationship would take. Joan recognizes the turning point and potential end to her time with Sherlock, when she quietly observes while in a morgue: “I’m going to miss this. Well, maybe not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this&nbsp;</i>but this. Working with you. I think what you do is amazing.”</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This is a Watson who truly and openly cares about Sherlock. Sherlock’s wellbeing is important to her and she takes it upon herself to ensure it, even if it means lying to him or endangering herself.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Sherlock, meanwhile, is at such a confused and vulnerable state that he allows his past and desire for revenge to blind him. For once, we get a Sherlock Holmes who is openly flawed and acknowledges his shortcomings. We also see him express deep emotions, such as when he begins to quietly weep as Moran taunts him about how he is wrong about Irene’s death.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Unlike other renditions of the great genius white guy that we seem to get in countless other shows and films, Elementary’s Sherlock can not only be catastrophically wrong but capable of terrible things in being so. His attacks on Moran were violent and surprising for the viewer, as Sherlock had, up until this point, been endearingly ethical (at least according to his own morals).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7yruqfOjBw/UsCM3shHieI/AAAAAAAAAwo/F1RTn6aShLY/s1600/tumblr_mgiz27eV4k1qa0fi0o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7yruqfOjBw/UsCM3shHieI/AAAAAAAAAwo/F1RTn6aShLY/s320/tumblr_mgiz27eV4k1qa0fi0o1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The conclusion of the episode was arguably the best part: Sherlock finally and openly acknowledges Joan’s importance to him and by repeating what she earlier said to him, demonstrates that their relationship is one of equality and mutual understanding. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">“M.” set the tone and readied the viewer for the rest of the season, in which the threat of Moriarty hung over everything. It was a shocking, exciting, scary and moving episode and it demonstrated the greatness that Elementary is capable of.<br /><br /> <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><i>All images copyright CBS</i></span>&nbsp; </div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-30875554764861885192013-12-25T21:49:00.003-05:002013-12-25T21:50:40.108-05:00Top 5 Best Episodes of 2013: Episode #3... <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tljqpZFx0nM/UruYm5FoNUI/AAAAAAAAAvc/37sWDK1_QR8/s1600/bobs-burgers-christmas-in-the-car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tljqpZFx0nM/UruYm5FoNUI/AAAAAAAAAvc/37sWDK1_QR8/s320/bobs-burgers-christmas-in-the-car.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bob’s Burgers 4.08 – “Christmas in the Car”</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bob’s Burgers has slowly but surely been usurping Adventure Time as my favorite animated show currently on television. While I still have several episodes to catch up on from previous seasons, the current season has featured consistently strong episodes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Compared to other shows’ holiday-themed episodes, both the Thanksgiving episode and the recent “Christmas in the Car” were two of the strongest and funniest ones I’ve seen this season.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal">“Christmas in the Car” features the Belcher family in a surprisingly suspenseful cat and mouse game with a mostly unseen driver in a candy cane truck. They’re actually in genuine danger for a great deal of the episode and only Bob seems to notice. Yet the rest of his family’s irreverent nonchalance is actually endearing rather than grating.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Linda’s genuine love for Christmas is sweet and joyful while the kids’ plan to kidnap Santa is charming in their fervent belief in his existence (Tina’s acceptance of Santa’s existence is also adorable and cringe-inducingly funny). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/VNVs8t6_IGA/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/VNVs8t6_IGA&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/VNVs8t6_IGA&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Yet for all the danger, panicking, accusations of leading each other to their deaths, and fart jokes, “Christmas in the Car” was just plain charming. It genuinely felt like an old school Christmas episode in that it featured a family being together and discovering what it means to truly celebrate Christmas. The tree doesn’t matter; neither do the decorations, the ham dinners, and the kidnapped Santa. They’re together as a family and they are kind to a stranger. That’s all that mattered. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Yet it wasn’t maudlin or corny. It still had plenty of sharp jokes, such as at the diner where Linda ordered a dish called a Dutch baby:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal">Bob: Linda, kids, we’re leaving! No more Dutch babies! Let’s go!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Linda: No! My baby hasn’t been delivered yet! …Oh, look, it came out in 22 minutes! Oh, it’s a preemie just like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jesus</i>! </div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">Or trapped in the stalled car as they’re being stalked by the unseen truck driver:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal">Tina: Mom, Dad? … I just wanted to let you know: I was the one that didn’t flush.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Linda: It’s okay, sweetheart. That was impressive, though. It looked just like your father’s.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Tina: That’s what I was going for.&nbsp;</div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">A great deal of the episode’s strength also lied in the awesome animation. This was the first animated episode I’ve watched in a very long time that I just enjoyed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">looking at</i>; there was othis moment when Teddy gets stuck in the kids’ Santa trap alone made me laugh and also thoroughly impressed me:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z3wUBIp6pC4/UruY8PypwqI/AAAAAAAAAvk/Xx5OilIk2Qg/s1600/tumblr_my1cmrYB5Y1rxjanxo1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z3wUBIp6pC4/UruY8PypwqI/AAAAAAAAAvk/Xx5OilIk2Qg/s1600/tumblr_my1cmrYB5Y1rxjanxo1_400.gif" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The rest of the animation was equally clean, fast-paced, and quite beautiful at times.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Christmas in the Car” has simply the best and easily rewatchable episode of Bob’s Burgers this season and just one of the best animated episodes I’ve seen all year.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><i>All images copyright FOX</i></span> </div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-29218628256543380502013-12-23T13:40:00.001-05:002013-12-23T13:43:54.564-05:00Top 5 Best Episodes of 2013: Episode #4...<div class="MsoNormal"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --</style><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cylSSzmR3Sk/UriDCPlouWI/AAAAAAAAAuk/he09k-hXk3I/s1600/sleepy+hollow+on+FOX.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cylSSzmR3Sk/UriDCPlouWI/AAAAAAAAAuk/he09k-hXk3I/s1600/sleepy+hollow+on+FOX.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sleepy Hollow 1.01 – “Pilot”</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I started hearing rumblings about Sleepy Hollow in August and I literally decided to tune in to the premiere when I saw a taxi promoting drive past me one day. I liked the look of the two stars. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I wasn’t sure what to expect when I tuned in to the premiere with my sister but by the end of the pilot, during which we had laughed, screamed and went aww, we were both hooked.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sleepy Hollow has had stronger episodes this season than the pilot but it was this episode that caused this potentially gimmicky show to completely captivate me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Ichabod’s resurrection in modern upstate New York immediately had me hooked. He looked so damn scared and confused surrounded by police cars and sirens! And Abbie… Abbie was immediately perfect. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She’s professional, intelligent, funny, understanding, compassionate, tough, and really, really good at her job. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A great deal has been written about Tim Mison and <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Nicole Beharie’s chemistry. I’m not going to repeat what critics and fans have said except to say that I haven’t enjoyed watching a pair’s friendship and mutual respect evolve like this in ages.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V1vadSJo9Xo/UriDzWuEFnI/AAAAAAAAAvE/_pS6gzak3c8/s1600/tumblr_mta0l41Kpw1qba5zuo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V1vadSJo9Xo/UriDzWuEFnI/AAAAAAAAAvE/_pS6gzak3c8/s320/tumblr_mta0l41Kpw1qba5zuo1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Nnlvjrjtr8/UriDzcOe0eI/AAAAAAAAAvI/ZcSwbs8FNgc/s1600/tumblr_mta0l41Kpw1qba5zuo2_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Nnlvjrjtr8/UriDzcOe0eI/AAAAAAAAAvI/ZcSwbs8FNgc/s320/tumblr_mta0l41Kpw1qba5zuo2_500.gif" width="320" /></a>&nbsp; </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Sleepy Hollow’s pilot showed us a man from the 18<sup>th</sup> century who did not doubt a woman’s ability to do her best in a traditionally male-dominated career. Once she explains that she is a Lieutenant and he must listen to her, he does. I don’t think I can stress enough how important and awesome it is to see a (seemingly extremely traditional) white man completely defer to a woman of color. Ichabod respects Abbie utterly and totally. And Abbie spends the pilot (and the rest of the season) repeatedly demonstrating why she deserves that trust. Her introduction to Ichabod may be my favorite start to a partnership in recent memory:</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">“I am a black female Lieutenant for the Westchester County Police Department. Do you see this gun? I'm authorized to use it. On you.”</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span> </div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">The only moments that come close to being as perfect between the two are Ichabod’s faces when he a) realizes Abbie is planning on leaving Sleepy Hollow and b) Abbie is staying. My heart! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GFL5pWCvWaE/UriDDVjUXLI/AAAAAAAAAvA/AR3cFyvsq8E/s1600/tumblr_mta1fe0MBU1qfqrhgo1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GFL5pWCvWaE/UriDDVjUXLI/AAAAAAAAAvA/AR3cFyvsq8E/s200/tumblr_mta1fe0MBU1qfqrhgo1_250.gif" width="178" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Aside from Ichabod and Abbie’s awesome and adorable partnership, the pilot gave us plenty of suspenseful and downright scary moments (oh God, JOHN CHO!), a fun reimagining of Christian theology and American folklore, and humor. Ichabod’s struggle with modern technology could have been overdone for cheap laughs but it was used just enough to make us giggle and endear us to him without being overplayed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">The shocking ending of the episode, however, was what made my sister and I know that we were going to keep tuning in. Like I said earlier, I’ve enjoyed other episodes of Sleepy Hollow more but this was not only the best pilot I’ve seen this season, it captivated me enough to know that Sleepy Hollow would be one of my absolute favorite new shows on television.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><i>All images copyright FOX</i></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-6804169441212645802013-12-20T14:20:00.001-05:002013-12-20T14:24:08.151-05:00Top 5 Best Episodes of 2013: Episode #5...<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l2-d-WltoWg/UrSVMct8DSI/AAAAAAAAAtw/W0oMs4Qr5Ko/s1600/People+Watching+TV+(18).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l2-d-WltoWg/UrSVMct8DSI/AAAAAAAAAtw/W0oMs4Qr5Ko/s320/People+Watching+TV+(18).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The end of the year is coming and that means it’s time to take stock of 2013; by which, I mean take stock of all the television I’ve watched in 2013. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">To be honest, I’ve always been a very picky television watcher but this year, I found myself expanding my TV horizons. With all the new television I’ve watched, I wanted to narrow down the year with my list of the top five best episodes of 2013.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beware, obviously, of spoilers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Please share with me your favorite episodes of 2013 and let’s start with number 5…</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>&nbsp;Teen Wolf 3.06 – “Motel California”&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Fb42hVEoxc/UrSWL-X-5QI/AAAAAAAAAt4/E9bGICUxDw8/s1600/teen-wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Fb42hVEoxc/UrSWL-X-5QI/AAAAAAAAAt4/E9bGICUxDw8/s400/teen-wolf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I have put up with a lot for you, Teen Wolf: sloppy writing, nonsensical twists, poorly choreographed fight sequences, rampant queer-baiting, an uninteresting love story, and questionable acting. But I stick with you because I’m always so curious at what nonsense you’re going to throw our way next. Also, Sheriff <i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Stilinski and Stiles’ relationship is golden and Derek Hale’s face is ridiculously perfect.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But finally, after two and a half seasons, you’ve finally given us a well-written, interesting, suspenseful, funny, and well-acted episode. “Motel California” is what Teen Wolf should’ve been from the beginning: teenagers having to deal with the creepy supernatural on their own and struggling to make sense of the unexplained mysteries happening around them. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dMA-Ys-3eAE/UrSWn-OwgUI/AAAAAAAAAt8/E5fu0Wb6NjY/s1600/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episod_6_Motel_California_Glen_Capri_1977_full_moon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dMA-Ys-3eAE/UrSWn-OwgUI/AAAAAAAAAt8/E5fu0Wb6NjY/s320/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episod_6_Motel_California_Glen_Capri_1977_full_moon.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe they just needed to get out of that high school because a great deal of this episode’s strength laid in the fact that it took place in a spooky motel that is infamous for having the highest number of suicides in California. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The show opens with a tantalizing flashback to 1977 featuring the suicide of someone named Alexander Argent. Who is he to Allison and her father and, more juicy, who apparently bit him? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Following this fun little opener we get plenty of humor from Stiles, Danny, and even the usually annoying Coach <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Finstock (“Jared, I'm warning you; I'm an empathetic vomiter. You throw up, I'm going to throw up right back on you and it will be profoundly disgusting”). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Stuck in traffic, the gang has to spend the night in the titular spooky motel, in a move fondly reminiscent of a Scooby Doo episode and every horror movie featuring teens since the 1980s. I think that is what appealed to me the most about this episode. It was shed the melodrama and confusing narrative of the rest of the seasons and just served up a straight horror episode. It featured a Large Marge-esque motel clerk, the ghostly voices of past suicides, violent and terrifying visions, hallucinating werewolves, and a suspenseful countdown towards death for the teens that echoed Final Destination.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-02mjX3-QMl0/UrSXN0ng91I/AAAAAAAAAuM/SsZcNZLFnEs/s1600/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episode_6_Motel_California_Holland_Roden_Lydia_Martin_1_2_BANG.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-02mjX3-QMl0/UrSXN0ng91I/AAAAAAAAAuM/SsZcNZLFnEs/s1600/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episode_6_Motel_California_Holland_Roden_Lydia_Martin_1_2_BANG.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-02mjX3-QMl0/UrSXN0ng91I/AAAAAAAAAuM/SsZcNZLFnEs/s320/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episode_6_Motel_California_Holland_Roden_Lydia_Martin_1_2_BANG.png" width="320" /></a>The highlights of the episode included Lydia and Allison (slowly becoming my <a href="http://whatculture.com/tv/5-best-female-friendships-tv.php/5">favorite female friendship on television</a>) working together to solve the mystery of the motel, Stiles and Lydia saving all three possessed werewolves using their wits, courage and sarcastic one-liners, Danny and Derek finally getting some on-screen love (not together, with less interesting characters), and genuinely creepy hauntings by the past suicide victims (the death of the couple with a small baby was particularly evocative). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Motel California” also had one of the most moving moments between the two pairs of best friends: Stiles and Scott and Lydia and Allison. Scott, hallucinating and under the effects of wolfsbane, attempts to immolate himself with a flare and gasoline. The suicidal speech he gives to Stiles is oddly poignant for a show that is about three-quarters shirtless hot guys: </div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">It all started that night, the night I gotten bitten. Remember the way it was before that? You and me? We were nothing. We weren't popular. We weren't good at lacrosse. We weren't important. We were no one. Maybe I should just be no one again. No one at all. </span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">But that’s nothing compared to Stiles’ tear-filled response as he slowly attempts to move Scott out of danger:</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Scott, just listen to me. You're not no one. Scott, you're my best friend, okay, and I need you. Scott, you're my brother. Alright, so if we're gonna do this, then I think you're just gonna have to take me with you then.</span> </blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vuy-HxvTlzs/UrSXeRueQXI/AAAAAAAAAuU/3wZtgTJkMrg/s1600/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episode_6_Motel_California_Holland_Roden_Dylan_O%27Brien_Tyler_Posey_Lydia_Stiles_saves_Scott.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vuy-HxvTlzs/UrSXeRueQXI/AAAAAAAAAuU/3wZtgTJkMrg/s320/Teen_Wolf_Season_3_Episode_6_Motel_California_Holland_Roden_Dylan_O%27Brien_Tyler_Posey_Lydia_Stiles_saves_Scott.png" width="320" /></a>Dylan O’Brien (Stiles) is the best actor in the cast, in my opinion. While his sarcasm and physical humor often steals the show, he is clearly just as adept at drama. I genuinely hope he has a solid and long career after this rather than just fading away like so many other young actors.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <div class="MsoNormal">The episode of course ends with a twist (MOUNTAIN ASH aka Gerard is back) and Daddy Argent knows a lot more about the motel than we do. Derek has his corny love scene with Jennifer set to indie music but we get to see him shirtless and bloody so we accept it. Lydia again solves a mystery by figuring out how the wolfsbane infested the minds of the werewolves at the motel. And we the audience are left wondering just why the hell it has taken Teen Wolf this long to give us such a quality episode.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>All Teen Wolf images copyright MTV</i> </div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-59338436503480291032013-11-26T16:55:00.000-05:002013-11-26T17:02:53.817-05:00Sherlock Holmes Syndrome <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-priority:99; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} /* Page Definitions */ @page {mso-footnote-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0clip_header.htm") fs; mso-footnote-continuation-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0clip_header.htm") fcs; mso-endnote-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0clip_header.htm") es; mso-endnote-continuation-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0clip_header.htm") ecs;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iv8cJtgI2b0/UpUWXLGuETI/AAAAAAAAAtE/noSMJ3-5DYk/s1600/3403356-1542702543-Holme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iv8cJtgI2b0/UpUWXLGuETI/AAAAAAAAAtE/noSMJ3-5DYk/s320/3403356-1542702543-Holme.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m sick of Sherlock Holmes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Let me clarify. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I fell in love with this character several years ago when I began reading the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle canon. Do you ever have those moments when you discover a character or a book and you think: this was created for me? I had that with Sherlock Holmes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I loved him even with all his flaws, sexism, and drug addiction. I loved the world he inhabited, I loved Watson, and I was madly in love with Irene Adler. Even the stories where Conan Doyle was clearly phoning it in, I enjoyed. And for a while, I loved the fact that pop culture had rediscovered this character and seemed to create new renditions of him every year. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I am now sick of what I call Sherlock Holmes Syndrome. I am sick of eccentric, often neurotic, always brilliant white men who see things that we mere mortals cannot see. I’m sick of the mass media’s apparent belief that mental issues, depression, anxiety, psychopathy and neurodevelopmental disorders are magic. I’m also sick of the blanket use of autism, often incorrectly, as a signifier for Otherness and as a vague superpower. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-priority:99; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} /* Page Definitions */ @page {mso-footnote-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0:clip_header.htm") fs; mso-footnote-continuation-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0:clip_header.htm") fcs; mso-endnote-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0:clip_header.htm") es; mso-endnote-continuation-separator:url("Macintosh HD:Users:Binx:Library:Caches:TemporaryItems:msoclip:0:clip_header.htm") ecs;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Look, I still love this character. And I’ve spent more time thinking about and debating Sherlock Holmes’ mental issues than I care to admit. At the end of the day, we don’t know if the canon Sherlock Holmes suffered from anything other a drug addiction and “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">the outbursts of passionate energy when he performed the remarkable feats with which his name is associated [which] were followed by reactions of lethargy during which he would lie about with his violin and his books, hardly moving save from the sofa to the table”<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4810945672343071659#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">[i]</span></span></span></a></span></span>. But that has not stopped contemporary interpretations of this damaged yet dazzlingly clever man to diagnose him with everything from <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome">Asperger syndrome</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encephalitis">encephalitis</a>.</span></div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BRRsr9WymHw/UpUXrelRiBI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/lHoZi-G8IOo/s1600/tumblr_lq22xl5vjz1qcnhhzo1_r2_500.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BRRsr9WymHw/UpUXrelRiBI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/lHoZi-G8IOo/s1600/tumblr_lq22xl5vjz1qcnhhzo1_r2_500.gif" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">The Sherlock Holmes Syndrome has expanded far beyond the actual character of Sherlock Holmes. Will Graham of NBC’s Hannibal is another troubled white man in his thirties who, like BBC’s Sherlock, is allegedly autistic, which grants him the ability to mentally recreate crime scenes. His recreations and narration during them are reminiscent of Robert Downey, Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes and his ability to predict exactly what an opponent was about to do. Like the canon Sherlock Holmes, he suffers from what Conan Doyle would’ve referred to as “black moods.” We just call them blackouts or hallucinations and you really should get that checked out by a non-serial killer professional.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Sherlock Holmes Syndrome can even affect characters that are not crime-fighters or detectives. Ichabod Crane from FOX’s Sleepy Hollow exhibits several effects of this syndrome: he’s eccentric (by our modern standards. He was a normal man in his time period of 18<sup>th</sup> century), British (not all those who suffer from Sherlock Holmes Syndrome are British but it certainly helps), white, charming for all his oddities, and possesses a convenient glossary of knowledge and minutiae that the secondary characters do not. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>In the episode “The Lesser Key of Solomon,” Ichabod reveals that he just happens to have a photographic memory (rather similar to the mind palace of the Sherlock Holmes of the BBC) that helps him and Abbie track down the evil Hessians. In “John Doe,” we discover Ichabod speaks Middle English, which just so happens to be the language the mysterious sickly boy who randomly appears in town speaks. Multiple plotlines are possible simply because of Ichabod’s background and knowledge of the supernatural. Like Sherlock Holmes, he has collected minute details through his experiences and research.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uRdiLAUlnBA/UpUYKtokN4I/AAAAAAAAAtY/nyTJ6MBUCX0/s1600/tumblr_mw6s2rbmrA1rkfde2o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uRdiLAUlnBA/UpUYKtokN4I/AAAAAAAAAtY/nyTJ6MBUCX0/s1600/tumblr_mw6s2rbmrA1rkfde2o1_500.gif" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I know there are more examples of these types of men in our current pop culture (please let me know of the others that I am overlooking) and I am just so tired of these conveniently genius white men whose brilliance is so dazzling, it’s almost inhuman. I’m tired of mental illness as a trope in pop culture and I’m also tired of Othering these men through either neurological/mental differences and/or their often vague sexuality (Ichabod is the only apparently totally straight character mentioned here).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Look, we’ve questioned Sherlock Holmes’ mental capabilities, alleged disorders, and sexuality since he first appeared to us in 1887. Part of what is so interesting about this character is what is not said to us by his trusty <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Boswell">Boswell</a>, John Watson. The eccentric genius as queer is nothing new so why do we keep relying on it so much? And why do writers, actors, creators, fans, etc. seem so fixated on this trope that we rehash him out over and over again? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">The third series of Sherlock is supposedly coming out next month on the BBC and, while I know I will tune in, I’m rather indifferent to the whole thing. I want to know the reveal of the last series’ cliffhanger but other than that, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock has overstayed his welcome with me. Even the Sherlock of CBS’s Elementary, which I actively enjoyed as the closet to canonical Sherlock Holmes I’ve seen in years, has done little to impress me this season. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I keep tuning in these shows, however, which I suppose proves that I have fallen under the Sherlock Holmes Syndrome as well. I just wish I didn’t feel so tired after finishing the latest episodes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4810945672343071659#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ＭＳ 明朝&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>See “<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/834/834-h/834-h.htm#link2H_4_0005">The Musgrave Ritual</a>” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</div></div></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-56932254259440786342013-11-16T13:50:00.000-05:002013-11-17T01:10:28.490-05:00Loki and the Language of Sexual Violence<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; 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margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6OCzcX8Dzdg/Uoe847ERazI/AAAAAAAAAss/bEbf8jhb-Ws/s1600/Poster-loki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6OCzcX8Dzdg/Uoe847ERazI/AAAAAAAAAss/bEbf8jhb-Ws/s200/Poster-loki.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[Trigger warning: discussion of sexual violence, consent issues, and rape. NSFW language] </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">All this talk of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World</b> (2013) inspired me to break out my Blu-ray edition of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Marvel’s Thor</b> (2011) last night. By all accounts, it’s my favorite film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since it taught me to love Thor and Marvel, which then inspired me to apply for an internship there and the rest is geeky history. So I love this movie. I love Thor. And like most in the Marvel fandom, I love Loki.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But there’s a moment in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thor</b>that I always found troubling and I often try to forget it happens. When it does occur, I find myself incredibly uncomfortable, especially for a movie that I thoroughly enjoy as both a feminist and a geek.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a name='more'></a><br />Towards the end of the film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to Asgard to confront and battle his wayward brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and now the two brothers face each other as opponents and deeply changed men. Loki is the combative and aggressive one and Thor is the hurt one trying to find a reasonable solution. Thor doesn’t want to fight his brother; he claims he’s changed. Loki then taunts him:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yx6PlKjXTQ0?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Come on, what happened to you on Earth that turned you so soft? Don’t tell me it was that woman. Oh, it was! Well, maybe when we’re finished here, I’ll pay her a visit myself!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This prompts a battle cry from Thor and they begin fighting.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I have several issues with this moment and this essay will most likely be a continuation of <a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2013/11/13/frigga-loki-and-magic-in-marvels-thor-the-dark-world/">my exploration of Loki and the feminine</a> but suffice to say, I always felt that this line was a threat of sexual violence. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Loki could very well just be threatening to kill Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) but the gendered way in which he worded this threat and the fact that Thor reacts so violently always gave me pause. He accuses Thor, the hyper-masculine god of thunder, of becoming “soft” because he doesn’t want to be violent. In other words, Thor is now weak and not too far from feminine. We have evidence that this is a major <span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">faux pas on Asgard, such as Thor’s taking insult to being called a “princess” on Jotunheim and then proceeding to kill numerous Frost Giants. Loki then blames “that woman” for this change, blaming an exposure to femininity on Thor’s new apparent weakness. Also, if he wanted to kill Jane, why didn’t he just say so? Cloaking his threat in “paying her a visit” implies something deeper and darker. </span></span>To be succinct, I can’t help but suspect that Loki is threatening rape. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I get it; it’s a PG-13 movie made by Disney Studios. There isn’t going to be overt sexual violence. And we all love the complex and complicated and terribly attractive Loki; I do, too. Something does not have to be overt, however, to be triggering. I also believe that when it comes to sexual violence, there is no overreacting. And just because a character is flawed and tragic, does not excuse all of his actions, no matter how expertly played by a charming and attractive man. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0FotUG2dTg/Uoe8paGaN4I/AAAAAAAAAsk/TJGz18ElL38/s1600/MikeFichera--Loki-Female.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0FotUG2dTg/Uoe8paGaN4I/AAAAAAAAAsk/TJGz18ElL38/s320/MikeFichera--Loki-Female.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loki in Sif's body</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">So, if Loki is threatening sexual violence against a woman, does this clash against his reliance on the feminine (magic and witchcraft)? Now, we know that the Loki of the Marvel comics and Norse mythology is gender fluid. He even gave birth to several monstrous creatures in the myths and famously stole Sif’s body in the comic books (another issue of consent). <a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2013/11/13/frigga-loki-and-magic-in-marvels-thor-the-dark-world/">As I discussed earlier</a>, Loki’s strength lies in the feminine realm; that is, in magic which was taught to him by his mother, Frigga. In the Asgard of the MCU, we can infer that the sorcery that Loki relies on is considered lesser or Other to brute strength and a warrior’s cunning. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Why, if Loki is at home in and relies on the feminine or the Other, does he throw out this upsetting reference to sexual violence? Is it because in that moment in the film, he is now the ultramasculine one? Thor, we know, has become more calm, understanding and less prone to violence by this point in the film. Was this line an effort to demonstrate the stark changes the two brothers went through? And if so, why are we still relying on threats of sexual violence and rape to demonstrate hypermasculinity? That is offensive to all genders. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">What’s even more troubling is that this is not the only time Loki speaks of sexual violence. The famous “mewling quim” scene in <b>Marvel’s The Avengers </b>(2012) has a great deal of violent sexual overtures directed at the Black Widow by Loki. <a href="http://www.overthinkingit.com/2012/05/08/avengers-sexual-violence/">A lot has been written</a> about this scene and <a href="http://cleolinda.livejournal.com/1022287.html">the worrisome sexist moments in it</a>. In case you didn’t know, the famous insult that Loki spat to the Black Widow and on stage this summer at San Diego Comic-Con (to applause and screams of delight) translates to “whiny cunt.” Even the <a href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/quim?q=quim">Oxford Dictionaries</a> defines "quim" as a vulgar British slang for “<span class="definition"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">a woman’s genitals”. Remember when I said a PG-13 Disney movie wouldn’t have a scene of overt sexual violence? Well, apparently it can’t be overt or in American English either.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rmM0ahZzWuc?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="definition"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">So, we’ve got an overwhelmingly gendered and sexual insult thrown to a woman immediately after she is threatened with another of Loki’s implications of rape: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">“I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you; slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Again, Loki could just be threatening death but the manner in which these lines are delivered, plus the use of a slow and intimate death featuring Black Widow’s worst fears seemed to go beyond murder. Again, I found this moment upsetting because my first thought was that he was referencing rape. Whether or not he is, other viewers evidently felt the same way, which demonstrates that the connotations are there no matter what Loki actually intends. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6DfzQzImjWg/Uoe9g2m_t4I/AAAAAAAAAs0/d7RPRciyLDY/s1600/loki_slowly__intimately_by_elephantlover97-d52rpdj.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6DfzQzImjWg/Uoe9g2m_t4I/AAAAAAAAAs0/d7RPRciyLDY/s400/loki_slowly__intimately_by_elephantlover97-d52rpdj.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Of course, Black Widow is tricking the trickster in this moment and uses his assumptions of her fears (and after all, isn’t rape the universal fear for women? Even some feminist scholars have argued that rape is a process of intimidation by men against women<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4810945672343071659#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">[i]</span></span></span></a></span>) against Loki, which brings the power back to her. As always, rape is about power and Loki used implications because he thought he was the one in power in both scenarios. He was wrong.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve sat down and watched all of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but I really don’t recall another male character using language that implied rape and sexual violence. There is the obnoxious soldier in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger</b> (2011) who mocks Agent Peggy Carter: “Are we gonna wrestle? Because I got a few moves I know you’ll like,” to which Agent Carter responds by knocking him down literally and figuratively. This is sexual and super gross and offensive but it is not violent like the previous lines. Furthermore, it was used to demonstrate Agent Carter’s professionalism and toughness while illustrating the mindless sexism she had to endure. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Tony Stark makes numerous sexual references but they are almost always vaguely “ha ha I used to be a womanizing playboy but now I’m in a committed relationship with Pepper Potts so all is forgiven, am I right?” Tony is too busy making us laugh or breaking our hearts with his daddy issues to really be offensive, it seems. If I am missing any other examples, please let me know.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So why Loki? Is it just because he’s the bad guy and bad guys say bad things? Or does it have something to do with the duality he seems to struggle with: good vs. bad, Frost Giant vs. Asgardian, brother vs. enemy, masculine vs. feminine? Most of us are already aware, from the countless Internet jokes, memes, and fanart about it, that the Loki of the Norse myths was the victim of nonconsensual sex<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4810945672343071659#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">[ii]</span></span></span></a></span>, though his son, the eight-legged horse, Sleipnir is rarely referred to as the product of a rape among the fandom. We see Odin atop Sleipnir for a brief moment in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thor</b> on Jotunheim, though the horse is never named and it’s only by the presence of its eight legs that we even know that it is Sleipnir. Whether or not the MCU follows the Norse myths has been a source of lighthearted joking among the fandom since 2011 but either way, Loki’s story here is also one about coercion and a lack of consent. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Does Loki use this sort of language to rebel against the feminine realm he seems to depend on? Is the feminine that unpleasant even to a being as powerful and intelligent as Loki? Or, as I’m sure plenty will argue, were these moments simply the results of Loki being not in his right mind (driven to rage and despair in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thor</b> and under alleged mind control in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Avengers</b>)?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Around this point, a voice in my head would argue that I was overthinking all of this, but the very fact that <a href="http://whedonesque.com/comments/28797">Joss Whedon, writer and director of <b>The Avengers</b>, claims</a> that the thing he’s most proud about the Avengers was “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">[g]etting ‘mewling quim’ out there to the masses” signifies that sexual violence is very real in our pop culture and very problematic in its mass acceptance. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">At the end of the day, I still am a Loki fan but I can’t ignore it when a favorite character is being extremely troubling or triggering. I also stand by my belief than when it comes to sexual violence or rape, we cannot ignore or neglect its presence in our culture and our entertainment. </span></div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4810945672343071659#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">[i]</span></span></span></a></span>Susan Brownmiller argued this in her 1975 book Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape.</div></div><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4810945672343071659#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">[ii]</span></span></span></a> </span>My knowledge of the Norse myths comes from <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Kevin Crossley-Holland’s <i>The Norse Myths</i>. You can read his interpretation of this myth </span><a href="http://thenorsegods.com/the-building-of-asgards-wall/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">here</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">. </span></div></div></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-15230530164972913672013-11-13T12:08:00.000-05:002013-11-13T12:08:09.990-05:00Frigga, Loki, and Magic in Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World<div class="MsoNormal"> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --</style>I recently wrote an essay exploring Loki and Frigga’s relationship and the use of magic and the feminine in Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World. Please check it out here at <a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2013/11/13/frigga-loki-and-magic-in-marvels-thor-the-dark-world/">The Discriminating Fangirl</a>! Beware, SPOILERS. &nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zf8VFVOcT7U/UoOxgxLJPpI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/PxQ4XtKgKCA/s1600/tumblr_m5leo7LBHF1r9s0se.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zf8VFVOcT7U/UoOxgxLJPpI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/PxQ4XtKgKCA/s320/tumblr_m5leo7LBHF1r9s0se.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--u8racN9hEk/UoOxiyMWFfI/AAAAAAAAAsY/HrC7in7iXoE/s1600/tumblr_mr657muW3W1qe8a0fo1_r1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--u8racN9hEk/UoOxiyMWFfI/AAAAAAAAAsY/HrC7in7iXoE/s320/tumblr_mr657muW3W1qe8a0fo1_r1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--u8racN9hEk/UoOxiyMWFfI/AAAAAAAAAsU/Q_GQaHS9LlA/s1600/tumblr_mr657muW3W1qe8a0fo1_r1_500.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">&nbsp;</a></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-68673568377838915552013-11-08T14:51:00.000-05:002013-11-08T14:51:10.029-05:00The Erasure of Officer Anne Lewis and Women in Action <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; 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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100729202332/robocop/images/9/9f/Officer_Anne_Lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100729202332/robocop/images/9/9f/Officer_Anne_Lewis.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Officer Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLSpmAtc1Q">new trailer</a>for the RoboCop remake was released yesterday, bringing us a vaguely closer look at the origins of </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">OmniCorp’s program to bring robots to the American home front. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Whatever. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">As a massive fan of the original 1987 RoboCop, I have yet to see anything in the trailers for the remake that is as fresh and clever as the entire original film. I’m also still angry over the apparent lack of Officer Anne Lewis: a dynamic and engaging secondary character in 1987’s RoboCop and one of my favorite examples of a woman in an action film.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">According to the cast list of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234721/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm">the 2014 version</a>, there is no Officer Anne Lewis, simply an Officer Jack Lewis, played by the awesome </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931324/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t6">Michael K. Williams</a>. Great, he’s an amazing actor. But the removal of Anne Lewis is highly troubling to me.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Now, it’s obvious that women in action movies are not unheard of; there’s Ripley, Sarah Connor, Lara Croft, to name a few. These classic examples, however, are all pretty white women. Ripley is probably the only one that people tend to use as an example as a non-feminine female hero, though in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_%28film%29">Aliens</a>, she becomes a mother figure. Officer Anne Lewis, while a blond white woman, is one of the few examples of a woman in the action genre that is not sexualized or sanctified at all. She is a police officer and she is really good at her job. She’s professional, tough, and not adverse to violence. She also wears her hair short, which, as an action fan and a woman, is a huge deal for me because film stylists don’t seem to realize that long hair, especially long hair in a ponytail, is incredibly dangerous and frankly stupid for a woman in an action film.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Furthermore, this is one of the few women in action I’ve encountered who did not have a romantic or sexual relationship with the male hero. There is nothing at all to Officer Lewis’ relationship to Officer Murphy expect professionalism and a dedication to her partner in a highly dangerous environment. Of course, there are plenty of signifiers to prove that Officer Lewis is, in fact, a woman. She wears earrings (tiny ones, luckily) and pops bubblegum, an act that is usually associated with teenaged Valley Girls. But by the end of the film, you remember Lewis as simply being a police officer, nothing more. And that, in and of itself, is profound.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Therefore, the erasure of this female character is worrisome. Have we really gone backwards since 1987 that a non-sexual, non-mother female figure cannot exist in our modern films? The trailers for the remake focus on only one woman and that is Murphy’s wife. She is repeatedly presented as merely HIS wife and the mother of his son. She is the young widow, the woman who weeps at his bedside after he’s injured and the only conduit Murphy has back to his humanity. At least, that is what <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INmtQXUXez8">the first trailer</a> seemed to present. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">I’m worried that not only will this remake simply be an attempt to turn RoboCop into a darker Iron Man but that it will dismiss women in action as merely being there for the male hero to grow as a character. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">I know I should remain optimistic and wait till the film’s release in February. But I really don’t feel guilty being pessimistic at the moment.</span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-46628189904682281202013-10-30T12:01:00.001-04:002013-10-30T12:01:01.220-04:00Nancy Thompson, Freddy Krueger, and feminism <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Courier New"; panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;} @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; 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mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Wingdings;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --></style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7eUwbyhTjLg/Tj78zEDcaAI/AAAAAAAAAZI/PncnNWtObK8/s1600/nightmare_on_elm_street_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7eUwbyhTjLg/Tj78zEDcaAI/AAAAAAAAAZI/PncnNWtObK8/s320/nightmare_on_elm_street_xlg.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Tomorrow is Halloween and that means I will be doing several things:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span>Handing out candy </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span>Playing spooky music all day</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span>Dressing up</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span>Watching A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/10/31/halloween-horror/">I’ve written about A Nightmare on Elm Street before</a> and how much I love this film. At the risk of repeating myself, I want to discuss the original Nightmare on Elm Street again if only because of how important this film was to me as a young teenager and now, as an adult feminist.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It may seem strange for a feminist to love a film in which a deformed child murderer stalks and kills teenagers, most famously after sex. When I first saw this film as a fourteen year old, however, I was astonished by the originality of the premise. I had already seen a masked and typically silent killer slash his way through sexually promiscuous teenagers but I had never seen a killer with a personality. And I had never seen any death scenes as unsettling as the disquieting dreamscapes in which Freddy <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Krueger </span>tormented and killed his victims. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing">I still maintain that the scene in which the dead Tina appears in a bloody body bag in the middle of English class to the sleeping Nancy is one of the most disturbing scenes in 1980s horror (it’s also the reason why my favorite Shakespeare line is from Hamlet).</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0fganLeZAIQ?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Nancy, played by the underrated H<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">eather Langenkamp, is my favorite Final Girl and the main reason why, as a feminist, I adore this film. I highly recommend this Halloween, checking out Carol J. Clover’s seminal <em><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Men-Women-Chain-Saws-Gender/dp/0691006202"><span style="font-style: normal;">Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film</span></a></span></em>, the book that gave us the term Final Girl. Rather than simply being the person who happens to survive until the end of the film, the Final Girl is often masculine in order to shift the stereotypically male audience’s identification from the male killer to the final female victim. She also wrote that the Final Girl possesses an “active investigating gaze” (48) which goes against the other groundbreaking work of feminist theory, Laura Mulvey’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>“<a href="http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~mquillig/20050131mulvey.pdf">Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema</a>”. Mulvey argues that cinema demonstrates that “pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female” (39) and that the film “narrative supports the man’s role as the active one of advancing the story, making things happen” (41) while women are merely one-dimensional icons to be gazed upon by the audience (41).</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/heather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/heather.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="st">Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Nancy is not one-dimensional. She is one of the most engaging and authentic horror film characters I have ever encountered and as a young teenager, I was able to identify with her as hero rather than the monster as Other. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">In fact, Freddy wasn’t really much of an Other to me: he’s a white male murderer. While his sexuality is called into question in the later films, in the original, he makes heteronormative sexual overtures to the victims, especially to Nancy in the famous leer, “I’m your boyfriend now, Nancy” over the phone. He even makes a reference to rape when he threatens our female hero, “I'm going to split you in two.” </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Again, as a feminist, I’ve had plenty of people think this would upset me too much to enjoy the film. And I agree that Freddy Krueger is disgusting and his sexual assaults against women in the films are one of the most despicable things about his personality. It’s also problematic that in the later and lesser films, these assaults are often played for laughs. In the first film, however, he wasn’t the wisecracking smartass that he evolved into but a truly grim and dangerous shadow figure. He wasn’t funny and the things he did to his victims weren’t either.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Returning to Nancy, she was and remains the female hero that I needed in my life as a feminist. While Clover claims that the Final Girl must be masculine, I always found Nancy very feminine. Yes, she remains a virgin and yes, she employs power tools to basically Home Alone her house in her final confrontation against Freddy but throughout the film, her femininity is never hidden or neglected. She giggles with her best friend during a sleepover; she refers to her father as “Daddy”; she sobs in the police station after the first death; she complains about her looks after spending nights staying awake; she even wears a pink outfit in her first dream sequence with Freddy. These are all signifiers that Nancy equals stereotypical femininity. Yet at the same time, she is our hero; she is the subject of the narrative and while Freddy is the first instigator of the plot, she propels the rest of it along. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">She refuses to back away from Freddy. She is going to defeat him no matter what, while her boyfriend just seems nonchalant about the entire situation (and it should be noted that he famously is killed in bed not long after cracking a joke about leering at beauty pageant contestants). As Nancy declares, “I'm into survival.” No one else in the film seems to be. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1sufsyAV6G4/USbD81W10hI/AAAAAAAABBQ/DxSM_wnyKiI/s1600/LWS+-+Nancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1sufsyAV6G4/USbD81W10hI/AAAAAAAABBQ/DxSM_wnyKiI/s320/LWS+-+Nancy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">“I take back every bit of energy I gave you. You're nothing. You're shit.” </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Furthermore, she is only one who figures out Freddy’s true weakness. Like other sexual predators, Freddy’s power lies in the fear and control he holds over his victims. At the climax of their battle, Nancy turns her back on Freddy and says, “I take back every bit of energy I gave you. You're nothing. You're shit.” He is instantly powerless to hurt her in any way now. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">This moment blew me away as a teenager and it still affects me today. Never before had I seen a female hero defeat a male tormentor by simply refusing to allow him to have any sway over her. I still see a lack of this in contemporary films and I wish we had more women like Nancy in the horror genre.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">This Halloween, I invite all of you to take another look at the original Nightmare on Elm Street and cheer on Nancy with me. And whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Notes</span></u></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Clover, Carol J. <i>Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film</i>. </span> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Princeton, NJ: Princeton University, 1997. Print.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Feminism &amp; Film</i>. Ed. E. Ann </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Kaplan. Oxford: Oxford U P, 2000. Print. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-74139633713449126282013-10-28T20:44:00.000-04:002013-10-28T20:59:35.939-04:00"So why shouldn't I write of monsters?" A feminist considers the horror genre<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7wg259L1E1qzdvhio1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7wg259L1E1qzdvhio1_500.jpg" width="145" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elsa Lanchester in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It’s the week of the Halloween. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It’s my favorite time of year if only for the reason that I love horror. Truly and desperately love horror in all its forms, especially horror films.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This often surprises people because I am a feminist. I have a very clear memory of a college professor being totally aghast that I was a women and gender’s studies student and a horror fan. This annoyed me.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Because for me, horror is freeing. As a quiet, bookish, and all-around weird kid, horror films opened up a world of empowerment for me. It is only in horror that the Other has, if only momentarily, true power. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /><a name='more'></a>The Other in feminist thought owes its definition to <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Simone de Beauvoir and The Second Sex; she pointed out that in Western society, men are the subject, the essential, the Absolute, while women are the inessential, the less-than, and the Other (xxii). Of course, there are many ways in which groups can be Othered: through race, sexuality, religion, body type, health etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">The Other is the main subject of the horror genre. They are often the monster: rebellious women (The Bride of Frankenstein), sexually ambiguous (Norman Bates, Dracula’s Daughter), victims of mental and emotional abuse (Leatherface), emotionally unbalanced (werewolves), etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">As a weird child, seeing these sorts of characters exert even momentary power over the norm was exhilarating. Stephen King wrote lovingly in Danse Macabre “that children are better able to deal with fantasy and terror <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on its own terms</i>than their elders are” (102). At the same time, children are aware of they’re own lack of independence and control in life, thus making them feel uneasy (103). </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">As it may be surprising to absolutely none of you, I was an uneasy and nervous child. But while watching horror films, I was in control. If I got too scared, I could turn it off. But I loved being scared because it was a safe scare. I was safe with Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Wolf-Man because they were different. I got it. I understood it. And for the short time before their untimely deaths and destructions at the hands of the cisgendered, heteronormative, and usually white heroes, they were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">powerful</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I want to celebrate this Halloween by celebrating horror as both a longtime fan and as a feminist. Women and horror should not be viewed as oxymoronic. After all, it was a teenaged woman who wrote the seminal English language horror novel and thus invented an entire genre; my beloved <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_mary/">Mary Shelley</a>. Also, Bela Lugosi, the classic horror movie actor and the greatest Dracula of pop culture history, <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/belalugosi315084.html">famously declared,</a> “It is women who love horror. Gloat over it. Feed on it. Are nourished by it. Shudder and cling and cry out-and come back for more.” He was right.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I hope to discuss a few of my favorite feminist-friendly horror films this week. And I would greatly like to hear more about your favorite horror films. I am always hungry for more.</span><br /><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><u>Notes</u>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Beauvoir, Simone De. <i>The Second Sex</i>. New York: Vintage, 1989. Print.</span><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><u> </u></span><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">King, Stephen. Danse Macabre. </span>New York: Berkley Pub Group, 1981. Print. </div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-72613173968674765622012-06-23T17:36:00.003-04:002012-06-23T17:36:30.071-04:00Birds of Prey #7<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FQZoON8ojdo/T-Y2uVKt7xI/AAAAAAAAAoY/opDHsjUEgvI/s1600/1332781492_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FQZoON8ojdo/T-Y2uVKt7xI/AAAAAAAAAoY/opDHsjUEgvI/s200/1332781492_cvr.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Jesus Saiz, Santiago Arcas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Birds of Prey #7 (March 21, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Duane Swierczynski</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Penciller: Jesus Saiz</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Colorist: June Chung</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I love Birds of Prey. I’ve said that before many times but I don’t care. I love this ragtag group of damaged, dynamic, powerful, and conflicted women. I love that they are not perfect, not totally self-sacrificing, not even all that nice. The women of Birds of Prey are some of the most real characters in comic books.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Fangirling aside, Birds of Prey #7 was honestly not one of the strongest comics I’ve read in a while. While it was definitely entertaining and had one surprisingly grim and violent moment, this issue sort of floundered and I can’t exact pinpoint why. For one thing, it started very abruptly and while I am used to issues opening in the middle of a conflict, I felt that Birds of Prey #7 didn’t handle this very well. There was very little backstory and the little that did exist did not provide any real exposition to the villain or why the Birds of Prey found themselves in the current situation. Unlike <a href="http://fangirlingdaily.blogspot.com/2012/06/supergirl-7.html">Supergirl #7</a>, for example, Birds of Prey #7 didn’t meet the reader halfway in reminding them of the events that lead up to this issue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Furthermore, the villain, Choke, was kind of gimmicky. I liked that he used nursery rhymes as part of his mind-control plot, as I have a profound weakness for nursery rhymes (I blame my Nana). Other than that, however, he wasn’t particularly interesting. I mean, he managed to turn members of the Birds of Prey against one another, which was clever but nothing too mind-blowing. The only interesting thing about him was when Katana decapitated him. That was pretty cool and very unexpected, particularly the way in which it was illustrated. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get beheaded in a comic before. So there you go.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Other than that, I finished this comic feeling somewhat let down. Swierczynski did a solid job illustrating the friendship between Black Canary and Batgirl, which is one of my favorite comic book relationships of all time, but I honestly took away nothing else from this comic. The art by Saiz was lovely and probably the strongest thing about this comic book. I just wish that there had been more suspense, more tension, and just more of a villain in this book, rather than just pretty art.</span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-45490349567934099662012-06-18T16:48:00.001-04:002012-06-18T16:48:19.118-04:00Supergirl #7<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxqRDwjcfrI/T9-T47pB0kI/AAAAAAAAAoM/n9V_xmVXIWA/s1600/1332456155_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxqRDwjcfrI/T9-T47pB0kI/AAAAAAAAAoM/n9V_xmVXIWA/s200/1332456155_cvr.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Mahmud Asrar, Dave McCaig</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Supergirl #7 (March 21, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Michael Green, Mike Johnson</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: Mahmud Asrar</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colorist: Dave McCaig</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Letterer: Rob Leigh</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Supergirl has been a character that I have been vaguely interested in ever since I saw my very first episode of Justice League Unlimited, <a href="http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Justice_League_Unlimited_Episode:_Fearful_Symmetry">“Fearful Symmetry.”</a> If you haven’t seen this show or this episode, do yourself a favor and do so now. Aside from being an all-around solid work of animation and writing, it also introduced me to some of my now favorite characters, Green Arrow and the Question. Supergirl, though the focus of this episode, only piqued my interested slightly, sad to say. Therefore, I was terribly happy to read Supergirl #7 and find myself loving it.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">If you’re looking for a comic book filled with action and awesome fight sequences, then you should probably pick this one up if you haven’t already. Supergirl #7 opens right in the middle of an intense fight between Supergirl and a group of genetically modified aliens, the Worldkillers. Created in a lab by Kryptonian scientists, these Worldkillers are hungry to destroy, discover their true heritages and seek revenge on the Kryptonians who stole them from their home worlds. They now set their sights on Earth as it houses the last Kryptonians.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">As a new reader, rushing into an established fight sequence should have lost me. Instead, the central Worldkiller, Reign’s, exposition to Supergirl was surprisingly succinct and clarifying. I knew whom Supergirl was fighting, why and exactly what the costs were. Reign, unlike other verbose villains, did not go on and on about her anger or her detailed plans for Earth’s demolition. She was to the point and rather articulate. Also, she could be surprisingly frightening, for a genetically modified alien.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Overall, this entire comic book was one long fight scene but a well-written and suspenseful one. This was a battle that Supergirl worked very, very hard to win and her struggles throughout the fight seemed very plausible and often painful. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">It was just refreshing to see a fight sequence in which the hero is both outnumbered and frankly, not a whole lot stronger than her opponents. Instead, Supergirl relied both on her strength and her cunning to outsmart and win this fight, which was just so awesome. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Green and Johnson wrote a Supergirl that I could very well become a huge fan of and enjoy as a reader. She was smart, determined, imperfect, and rightfully proud. By the end, I was thoroughly rooting for her. I even didn’t mind her lack of pants, which could normally bother me in a female super hero costume. I’m often really annoyed by exposed skin in female super hero costumes because it serves absolutely no purpose and only further illustrates these women as sexual objects. And look, there’s been a lot of debate about everything from Wonder Woman’s lack of pants to Huntress’ stomach window but for once, I didn’t find myself rolling my eyes at exposed legs. Asrar drew a costume that was not over-the-top and in fact, managed to make it appear practical. Whether or not it really is, I’m not sure; I keep imaging a lot of skinned knees. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reign, however, did rock the insane, painful-looking cleavage, which was interesting to note. Was this acceptable because she’s the villain and only bad girls have massive cleavage? Also, she never really fought so much as taunt Supergirl while her counterparts did all the heavy lifting. That was pretty disappointing.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed Supergirl #7 and I now find myself the fan of yet another DC female super hero. I care about her and want to know more about her. I just pray that her other comic issues do not lessen or simplify her dynamic awesomeness, which I have seen happen time and again to many of my favorite female comic book characters. </span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-7926422885347061272012-06-15T19:24:00.000-04:002012-06-15T19:24:29.057-04:00Deadpool #55<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUT7N345m98/T9vDybEvS9I/AAAAAAAAAoA/p4TZNjXYQFY/s1600/prv12444_cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUT7N345m98/T9vDybEvS9I/AAAAAAAAAoA/p4TZNjXYQFY/s200/prv12444_cov.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Dave Johnson</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Deadpool #55 (May 23, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Daniel Way</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: Shawn Crystal</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colorist: John Rauch</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Letterer: Joe Sabino</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">As a huge Deadpool fan, I was confused and anxious about <a href="http://fangirlingdaily.blogspot.com/2012/05/deadpool-54.html">the recent changes that the Merc with a Mouth had undergone</a>. The majority of what makes Deadpool <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool</i> had essentially disappeared. I was worried.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Deadpool #55, however, did alleviate some of my fears; Deadpool is still crazy, he still has the fun yellow boxes, and he still has a profound love for murder and being really, really good at it. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Of course, things are terribly different now, what with his handsome face, his lack of healing-factor and his newfound will to live. If anything, adding these attributes to Wade Wilson is an interesting spin on such a distinct and almost rigid character. There are certain aspects to Deadpool that go without saying, so what happens when they are taken away?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Apparently, he still has the same basic personality and manic desire to kill, but only people who deserve it. Way opens the comic by featuring an introspective Wade Wilson who is still grappling with his new and fraught lease on life. The irony he faces: he can die now and yet, he’s never wanted to be nor felt more alive. Therefore, what should he do?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Answer: kill some baddies. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">He decides rather rashly to take on the</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> <a href="http://www.comicvine.com/intelligencia/65-56959/">Intelligencia</a>all by himself, which really wasn’t the smartest of plans. While I thoroughly enjoyed his fight sequences and his, of course, over-the-top destructive prowess, I was a bit confused by Deadpool’s voice. I was never quite sure when he was aware that he had lost his healing factor and when he had forgotten. Ultimately, of course, he had forgotten and therefore bit off more than he could chew. This is not an unusual thing for Deadpool to do, but the lack of healing factor does add a new layer of tension to the comic. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">My favorite aspect to Deadpool #55 was definitely the opening, in which the vulnerable and insecure side to Wade Wilson was hinted at. One of the things I love so much about Deadpool is that beneath all the bravado and lame one-liners, Wade Wilson is a very damaged man. This side to the character only rears his head once in a while, and I felt Way did an excellent job handling this without becoming too off character or maudlin. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I also enjoyed the Intelligencia, and the humor behind such a ridiculous group of super villains. Like Deadpool, we’re not supposed to take them terribly seriously and yet, Way did provide enough tension to make the reader understand that they very much want to and can kill Deadpool.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Overall, I am thoroughly intrigued by this new run on Deadpool. It’s always refreshing to have a well-known character get revamped and shaken up. And Way is shaking up Deadpool just about as much as he can. I am anxious to see how far he takes us on this new run and where our dear Deadpool ends up.</span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-30220702660499915002012-06-13T11:16:00.001-04:002012-06-13T11:16:07.390-04:00Batgirl #7<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tm_j-meL4Y/T9iucXUy1bI/AAAAAAAAAn0/W2ANH2G4ztQ/s1600/2240913-original_super.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tm_j-meL4Y/T9iucXUy1bI/AAAAAAAAAn0/W2ANH2G4ztQ/s200/2240913-original_super.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes, Ulises Arreola</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Batgirl #7 (March 13, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Gail Simone</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: Ardian Syaf, Alitha Martinez</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Inker: Vicente Cifuentes</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colorists: Ulises Arreola</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Letterer: Dave Sharpe</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">While I believe that Animal Man and Swamp Thing are the strongest books of the New 52, I still adore Batgirl. It’s well written, exciting and character-driven. Also, I will always love Barbara Gordon. ALWAYS.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Batgirl #7 has been one of my favorite issues of this series, not merely because it has an awesome fight sequence, a genuinely creepy and intriguing villain, and a perfect balancing between the personal and professional life of Barbara Gordon BUT because there’s a cameo by one of my other top favorite female super heroes: Black Canary.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I know we have Birds of Prey, which I also adore, but I sort of wish Black Canary and Batgirl had a duo book: fighting crime and trading quips and just generally being awesome and dynamic female characters. A girl can dream.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Until that comic book comes to fruition, I have Batgirl #7, which features the introduction of a gripping and eerie and for some reason, barefoot new villain, Grotesque, whose face is never seen and who speaks in a posh, vaguely formal manner. I kept imagining his voice to have a high faux-British accent. Perhaps I am projecting. Or perhaps I am watching too much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock</i> (is that even possible?). </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Either way, this faceless madman has crashed a swanky party, killed a billionaire in front of dozens of witnesses and has the ability to absorb power from lighting sources. Furthermore, upon being demasked by Batgirl, he declares her “fascinating” and disappears. I really, really like him. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Batgirl, meanwhile, is still struggling with guilt over regaining mobility and insecurities in returning to her vigilante life. Under a lesser writer, Barbara’s complexities could have simply become maudlin and overbearing but Simone is adept at balancing a characters’ self-scrutiny. I also felt that her inclusion of Black Canary as both a sparring partner and a voice of reason was a clever way to shake Barbara out of her funk and also illustrate the profound friendship and trust between the two women. I always enjoy it when female characters support one another, rather than try to break each another down and Simone is so awesome at this.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">The art by Syaf and Martinez is one of my favorites in comic books right now, though I do find it having moments of inconsistency. Characters, particularly Barbara’s mother, seem to change slightly from issue to issue and it can be a little distracting. Within this actual issue, however, I loved the art just as much as I loved the story.</span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-39481556349406792542012-06-11T22:25:00.000-04:002012-06-11T22:25:10.777-04:00Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself #626<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; 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mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WEj_YjnoXTI/T9aoVBV_qyI/AAAAAAAAAno/huIkrqFHyhI/s1600/1313803465_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WEj_YjnoXTI/T9aoVBV_qyI/AAAAAAAAAno/huIkrqFHyhI/s200/1313803465_cvr.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Stephanie Hans</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself #626(August 17, 2011)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Kieron Gillen</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: Doug Braithwaite</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colorist: Ulises Arreola, Andy Troy</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Letterer: Clayton Cowles</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">So if I can just fangirl here for a minute (and based on my blog’s title I obviously have every right to), I just want to say that <a href="http://marvel.com/news/story/18235/psych_ward_kid_loki">Kid Loki</a> is one of my absolute favorite things about comic books right now. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">What could have been an over-the-top gimmick turned into one of the best and freshest characters in the Marvel Universe and managed to breathe new life into an old villain. Kid Loki is a funny, clever, occasionally dangerous, in over his head, desperate to please and manipulative smartass. And I love him. In fact, I have yet to meet any Marvel fan that also didn’t love Kid Loki. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Due to him, Journey into Mystery is one of my favorite comic series and though #626 wasn’t groundbreaking, it was still a fabulous and fun read. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Part of Kid Loki’s appeal is how much of a schemer he is. Though he is desperate to not become the villain he once was in another life, the trickster god is still a huge part of his personality so if anything, this Loki feels rather closer to his actual Norse myth inspiration: he’s quick-witted, able to see the grand picture faster than anyone else, silver-tongued and adept at pitting major players against one another. His twists and turns are often difficult to keep track of, though I am rather torn on determining if this is an authorial weakness or simply an effort to illustrate Loki as three steps ahead of everyone else, even the reader.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">This issue focuses on one segment of Loki’s overall plan and while it is enjoyable to read as an isolated comic, Journey into Mystery really should be read in a volume. There is simply too much going on and too many plans to keep track of to keep reading in single issues. Nonetheless, I was thoroughly engrossed with #626, in which Loki engages yet another major mythic creature, Surtur, into his own private plans. Surtur is a giant fiery beast and his desire to consume and destroy Asgard is as wildly overblown as Loki’s plan is subtly manipulative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I particularly enjoyed Braithwaite’s art, which emphasized the tiny slightness of Loki against the giant Surtur. Also, I just love Braithwaite’s work in this series and find it terribly refreshing and beautiful.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">The only weak portions of this comic for me were the sequences that involved Odin and Tyr. These moments, though important for the overall plot (which we still only know a portion of), just didn’t grip me the way the rest of the comic did. That could very well simply be my biased love for Loki speaking, of course. Nonetheless, I did find myself basically tuning out while reading these portions until the cliffhanger ending.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I have to say that Journey into Mystery is one of the cleverest comic series right now. Between the writing and the art, this book is a pleasure to read and also to simply look at. Now I just have to decide if I do actually want to be Kid Loki for Halloween this year.</span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-69626156871056852042012-06-10T17:39:00.000-04:002012-06-10T17:39:03.834-04:00Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nJMIb74ytq4/T9UTvqDILMI/AAAAAAAAAnc/5RZFfDWl3EE/s1600/2323290-978_1_4012_3507_9_super.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nJMIb74ytq4/T9UTvqDILMI/AAAAAAAAAnc/5RZFfDWl3EE/s200/2323290-978_1_4012_3507_9_super.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Travel Foreman, Lovern Kindzierski</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt (2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Jeff Lemire</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: Travel Foreman</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Inker: Jeffrey Huet, Daniel Green</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve been excited to see the release of the New 52 trade paperbacks recently. I’m probably just lazy but I find reading trade paperbacks so much easier. In my quest to read as many comic book as possible, issues often get lost in the shuffle or neglected so for certain series, I purposely wait for the trade paperback releases (I’m doing that now with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers_vs._X-Men">AvX</a> so shh, don’t spoil me). I ended up doing this with Animal Man, though I have <a href="http://fangirlingdaily.blogspot.com/2012/02/animal-man1.html">read the first issue</a> and enjoyed it.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Animal Man, along with Swamp Thing, has probably been the most popular and acclaimed of the New 52 by my fellow comic book friends. It’s quite easy to see why: they are both refreshing, dark, mythic, and often terrifying books. The stakes are incredibly high and our heroes are terribly vulnerable. Both Animal Man and Swamp Thing make the reader feel as if the negative circumstances could actually happen in real life and then we would be totally boned.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s interesting; I’m a huge horror fan and I love gore but Animal Man Vol. 1 completely and utterly squicks me out. There were moments while reading this book that I had to put it down and just walk away from it for a bit. It’s terribly upsetting and disturbing. I think my lifelong aversion to nature and animals might have something to do with it. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Anyway, this first volume gives the reader the crucial backstory to Buddy Baker, his tense family situation, his search for identity and plenty of gore-filled, decaying, biological monsters. Man, it’s gross. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I have to say, along with being one of the most suspenseful and downright scary comics I’ve read in a long time, Animal Man is also one with a great deal of heart. Buddy Baker is not the star of the book; his entire family is, particularly his young daughter who also possesses Animal Man powers. I felt for her, especially, as Lemire demonstrates both the willful confidence and the confused terror of a small child. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Overall, Lemire’s writing is incredibly strong and rather poetic. He seamlessly bridges the mythic overtones of Animal Man’s universe with contemporary comic book dialogue. I also greatly enjoyed his ability to incorporate different voices, such as Buddy’s wife and the Rot, without losing sight of the central plot. Furthermore, the tension within the Baker family only illustrates that of the Rot versus the Green, which is done incredibly well. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I particularly enjoy a sequence in which Buddy’s son watches a Buddy Baker action movie, and tries to see the super hero in his father. Though the son could be dislikable at times, he was incredibly realistic, along with the rest of the family. Indeed, Animal Man features some of the most complex and dynamic characters I’ve encountered in a long time. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">The central plot of the Rot versus the Green is also masterfully crafted. Lemire provides the reader with enough of a mythical background to grant the entire story a sense of eerie otherworldliness. Like I said earlier, however, Animal Man is one of the few comics that feel like it could alarmingly affect the real world. Or maybe I’m just paranoid.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’m still on the fence regarding Foreman’s art. It was suitably grotesque and frankly difficult to look at in some panels. I don’t think I’ve winced this often while reading a graphic novel in a very long time. Nonetheless, I found the scratchiness and profound strangeness a little distracting. It isn’t like anything else out there right now in comics so that is to be commended. I just can’t decide if I enjoy it or not on a superficial level.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Overall, I definitely agree that Animal Man is one of the strongest books of the New 52 and this trade paperback completely exhibits this. </span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-91005005734195498512012-06-09T14:22:00.001-04:002012-06-09T14:22:26.210-04:00Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8VPxoXeD0sw/T9OUGjiPZbI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/N7UicyQfy9M/s1600/1313462452_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8VPxoXeD0sw/T9OUGjiPZbI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/N7UicyQfy9M/s200/1313462452_cvr.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Mike Choi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1 (August 10, 2011)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Nick Spencer</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: Emma R</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">íos </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Colorist: Javier Rodriguez</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Letterer: Joe Caramagna</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">In an effort to reacquaint myself with my beloved comic books and force myself to write on a regular basis, I’ve decided to restart my review-a-comic-a-day summer project. I’m terribly excited.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">This will also give me a clear reason to finally sit down and read my increasing pile of comic books that I have been accumulating on my bookshelf for the last year. I have a very bad habit of buying comic book issues in a fury and then not reading all of them. I therefore have unread comics that are at least a year old, such as this one, Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1. Rather than ignore these and move on, I’ve decided to sit down and read and review them, regardless of how old they may be. I refuse to give up on them.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I’ve had this issue for a long time now and due to my indifference to Spider-Island, I never picked it up. Nonetheless, I have been interested in the characters of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloak_and_Dagger_%28comics%29">Cloak and Dagger</a>for a while, mostly because I dig their name and was also intrigued to read about a super hero duo. Aside from the occasional Cable and Deadpool or Batman and Robin, I don’t think I’ve read many duo books. It’s an interesting dynamic that offers a great deal of possibilities in terms of tension.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Anyway, Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1 opens up with a solid backstory to both the Spider-Island storyline and the history of our two heroes. Spencer was clever in alternating between Cloak and Dagger, granting them an equal voice and their diverging views. Of course, I felt that Cloak was a bit more central, mostly because she’s the pretty blond girl and also, Dagger maintains this aloof mystique. Their polar binaries in personalities could have been really overdone or clichéd but Spencer gave them a nice balance. I found myself immediately feeling comfortable with these characters and caring about them.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I was a trifle confused as to their opinions regarding joining a team or not. Their non-mutant classification prevents them from joining the X-Men; all right, I got it. But when Cloak suggests joining the Avengers, Dagger refuses. Yet, when the Avengers show up later to ask for their help in dealing with the Spider-Island situation, Cloak is incredibly annoyed while Dagger readily agrees. Did I miss something there? </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I also wasn’t crazy about the ending, in which the Chinese witch, Suan Ming, reveals our mysterious villain. Ming’s stereotypical broken English made me wince. Accents and non-native English speakers are always difficult to write, but this was particularly uncomfortable if not downright offensive.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I did, however, enjoy the interaction between Cloak and Dagger and found myself rooting for them. I also enjoyed the way in which Spencer included the “real-world” side effects of being young, self-employed super heroes in New York City with no real source of income. The realistic and negative side of being a super hero vigilante is a theme that should be explored more often in comic books and it was handled well here.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">R</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">íos’ art was also very nice and refreshing, though a little confusing at times during the opening backstory. She struggled to include as many key moments of Cloak and Dagger’s history in a couple of pages, though I actually think the coloring did not help matters at all. I’m also not crazy about Cloak’s unnecessary cutout in her costume. Seriously, how is that beneficial in anyway? You’re more exposed to harm! Comic book artists, please work on this epidemic problem in our female characters’ costumes. Please.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">All in all, I greatly enjoyed Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of these two dynamic characters.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-50279324045942586622012-05-23T12:33:00.002-04:002013-11-07T16:13:00.405-05:00The Curious Case of Irene Adler<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/6802727141_be1951bfd3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/6802727141_be1951bfd3_z.jpg" width="120" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Art by Sidney Paget</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: normal;">Irene Adler has been on my mind quite a bit lately.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: normal;">She usually is, of course, what with being one of my top favorite female characters in literary history. I fell in love with her when I first read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia” (which can be read in its entirety <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1661/1661-h/1661-h.htm#1">here</a>) several summers ago and much like Sherlock Holmes, she is always <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Adler">The Woman</a> to me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Therefore, it is repeatedly disappointing that I have yet to see a film or television adaptation of “A Scandal in Bohemia” or Irene Adler that exhibits her full agency, her intelligence, her refusal to play by strict gender roles, and of course, her fierce independence.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Like most fangirlish Americans, I’ve been watching and re-watching the BBC production of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_%28TV_series%29">Sherlock</a></i> on PBS and with the premiere of “A Scandal in Belgravia” a few weeks ago, Irene Adler and our reactions to her have been dancing around my head. I was originally put off by this episode for several reasons, the most overt being that my beloved Irene Adler was updated into a dominatrix.</span><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Let me be perfectly clear here: there is nothing wrong with being a dominatrix or working in the sex industry. Indeed, I wish our taboos regarding it were lessened if only for the protection and respect of those involved. My concern did not lie in the fact that a dominatrix was a central character in this episode but the fact that, for whatever reason, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Moffat">Steven Moffat</a> felt compelled to overtly sexualize the most important female character in the Sherlock Holmes canon (outside of dear Mrs. Hudson). Why does woman = sex? Why does woman = body? Why does woman = this scene below?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2012/06/16/the-curious-case-of-irene-adler/usethis-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-9744" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9744" height="286" src="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/USE+THIS1.jpg" width="388" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Again, a woman exhibiting and owning her sexuality is awesome. That is why I was so torn about Lara Pulver’s Irene Adler. On the one hand, she is self-aware, knows how to get what she wants, and intelligent enough to outwit Sherlock Holmes a few times. On the other hand, she manipulates by using her body predominantly, she works, not for herself as in the original story, but for another man, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Moriarty">Moriarty</a>, and she ultimately does not beat Sherlock Holmes at his own game. In fact, she is saved by Sherlock, which downplays her capabilities and her “Ha, ha you can’t catch me” attitude that I so love in “A Scandal in Bohemia.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">In the recent renditions of Irene Adler, she is typically in a pseudo-sexual relationship with Sherlock Holmes, or at least, a sexually manipulative one. Take Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films. She flirts with Sherlock, plays with his apparent lack of sexuality, but all for Moriarty. In the first film, it is clear that Irene truly has no real agency of her own. She is not the free woman who outsmarts Sherlock Holmes to achieve her own ends that she is in the Conan Doyle story.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2012/06/16/the-curious-case-of-irene-adler/irenerachel/" rel="attachment wp-att-9745" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9745" height="305" src="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/irene+rachel.jpg" width="439" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Turning back to the original story, Irene is a rather complex character and one that, by superficial reading, would seem an odd choice to be so beloved by a feminist such as myself. After all, this is a female character that has only three direct lines of dialogue in the only story that she features in, the most famous being: “Good-night, Mister Sherlock Holmes” (259).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Furthermore, all that the reader is given to understand this woman is through men’s eyes. The King that she so entranced into stupidly taking a photograph with her regards her as having, “… a soul of steel. She has the face of the most beautiful of women, and the mind of the most resolute of men” (247-48).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">John Watson, ever the traditional Victorian romantic, regards her as a kind, graceful “beautiful creature” (257). Superficial, but Watson never actually interacts with her.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Sherlock, meanwhile, is the only one who clearly grasps how intelligent and cunning Irene is; he acknowledges that she is above their level. She changes his perception of women (which had always been rather mocking and belittling) and, as Watson recounts in the famous opening of the story, “To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. …And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory” (239).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">I knew I would like Irene upon reading this opening. For the first time, I had a central female character that was not a romantic interest nor was perceived as such. For the central male character, she was an equal, a testament to his own shortcomings and fallibility. Sherlock does not love or feel any sexual attraction to Irene but respects and admires her. It is the perfect relationship.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">But I truly fell in love with her around the same time Sherlock became thoroughly impressed with her; her taunting letter to Sherlock is a thing of beauty and demonstrates Irene’s resourcefulness, her intelligence and her ability to manipulate gender roles in order to get what she wants and outsmart even the greatest detective of all time.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">What’s more, she does all this for herself. As stated earlier, she is not working for anyone else and therefore, she is not at the mercy of any other man. Indeed, all Irene wants is to marry the man she loves, Godfrey Norton, who is almost always overlooked in contemporary adaptations of “A Scandal in Bohemia.” Someone online once referred to Irene as Godfrey’s White Knight, and I adore that image because it’s so true. She loves, marries and protects Godfrey by realizing Sherlock’s plan and runs off with her new husband and the incriminating photograph before she can be stopped. She is awesome.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Therefore, I found the latest Irene Adler terribly lacking. I know quite a number of reviews have derided the ending of “A Scandal in Belgravia” for portraying Irene as a damsel in distress that needed rescuing from Sherlock. I, again, have mixed feelings over this scene. While she is literally rescued from a beheading (rather harsh, no?) by Sherlock, I did sense that this scene was meant to portray them as having a somewhat vague relationship of equality. Sherlock uses her to solve the main mystery of the episode and then, out of respect and admiration, rescues her when she is in trouble. Nonetheless, I do see why this would not sit well with fans of Irene and to be honest, I don’t really blame them.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">What really offended me, however, was Moffat’s insistence of making Irene fall in love with Sherlock. I cannot reiterate enough that Irene has absolutely no romantic interest in Sherlock Holmes in the original story, and Sherlock certainly has none for her either. I therefore respectfully disagree with Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes so brilliantly on the show. In a recent interview with Michael Ausiello, Cumberbatch claimed, “But the thing about [Irene] that is very obvious when you read [the 1891 short story by Arthur Conan Doyle in which the character is first introduced] is Sherlock definitely does fall for her and he does lose his cool; he’s no longer the logical machine. He fell for her charms.” Benedict, I love you but no, he did not. Romance belittles their relationship of mutual respect and veneration. Sherlock and Irene recognize that they are the same sort of person and are equally adept at deduction and slight-of-hand, nothing more. I adore it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">At the end of the day, there will probably never be an adaptation of Irene Adler that is as dynamic, complex and cunning as Conan Doyle’s original. We live in a society where romance and sex sells and therefore, Irene must be forced to exhibit these tropes rather than rise above them. The 1984 series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett as the great detective probably had the closest portrayal of Irene Adler to her literary counterpart. Sadly, I often felt that this episode also relied on subtle melodrama, though it’s still worth checking out. I really wish I could have loved the latest Irene in Sherlock as earnestly as I do the original, as this could have a chance to really delve into the agency of one of the greatest female characters of all time. Rather, I simply felt cold.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Luckily, I always have the original to revisit, which I do often whenever I need a quick feminist pick-me-up.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><b>Notes</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Ausiello, Michael. “Eye on Emmy: Benedict Cumberbatch on Playing Sherlock at 50, His Mad Men Envy and That ‘Mortifying’ Downton Abbey ‘PR Disaster’.” TVLine.com. 14 June 2012.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur. “A Scandal in Bohemia.” Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I. 239-63. New York: Bantam Classic, 2003.</span>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-30253141579241854652012-05-17T15:23:00.002-04:002012-05-17T15:23:39.327-04:00American Vampire #24<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WFLmBHpL-CE/T7VQAgFUXrI/AAAAAAAAAmY/Z4uHQnL9h2M/s1600/1329926784_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WFLmBHpL-CE/T7VQAgFUXrI/AAAAAAAAAmY/Z4uHQnL9h2M/s200/1329926784_cvr.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Rafael Albuquerque</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">American Vampire #24 (February 22, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Scott Snyder</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Rafael Albuquerque</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Colorist: Dave McCaig</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I’ve been reluctant to review American Vampire #24 for the sole reason that this was the first issue in this series to make me go, “Meh.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">That was incredibly disappointing.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">This is not to say that this was a poorly done or weak issue. Even a mediocre issue of American Vampire is frankly superior to the average mainstream comic out there right now. Nonetheless, because I have been so in love with this series, the fact that this issue didn’t do much for me was all the more disheartening. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">This is the first time that the pacing of this four-part series has felt stretched out and weak. Snyder has always been adept at provocative and well-structured storytelling but American Vampire #24 is essentially filler. Nothing crucial really happens and instead, the issue simply provides the reader with more of the same action sequences and more (and now, basically unnecessary) exposition. Before this issue, Snyder had successfully provided the reader with enough backstory to both propel the plot and make new readers feel comfortable. Here, however, there was no real new plot. If anything, this issue felt like reading a long advertisement for the fourth part of the series. </span> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Travis’ inner monologue has also gone a bit stale and while he is still steadfast in goal to kill Skinner Sweet, he doesn’t seem all that much closer to achieving his goal. Of course, the final page sets up the epic showdown between Travis and Skinner in the fourth issue and if anything, the promise of an exciting and action-packed fight scene between the two only highlights how little really occurred in this one.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I’ve also given up on Piper. She isn’t so much a character as a burden and essentially is just there to up Travis’ stakes. She barely had any dialogue in American Vampire #24 and simply looked frantic.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Albuquerque’s art and McCaig’s coloring are still lovely and one of the strongest aspects of American Vampire. Unfortunately, this was first American Vampire issue where I enjoyed looking at the comic more than actually reading it.</span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-26872336105034327642012-05-11T11:43:00.001-04:002012-05-11T11:43:48.598-04:00Deadpool #54<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; 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margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MHJCk4jYTbw/T60zEYSCBnI/AAAAAAAAAl8/5CEw0Orh7gU/s1600/prv12277_cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MHJCk4jYTbw/T60zEYSCBnI/AAAAAAAAAl8/5CEw0Orh7gU/s200/prv12277_cov.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover by Dave Johnson</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Deadpool #54 (May 9, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Daniel Way</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Penciller: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Alé Garza</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Inker: Sean Parson</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Colorist: Dommo Sanchez Amara</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Letterer: Joe Sabino</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I’m really torn about this issue.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">For one thing, I am impressed with Way’s handling of what seemed to be a dead-end arc. While I had no idea how Way was going to conclude the Dead arc, I certainly wasn’t expecting this. Way managed to imbue new life into Deadpool so as to begin a new chapter in this character’s chaotic career. From this perspective, this is the perfect way to conclude a story arc and still pique the reader’s interest to see where Deadpool will be going after this.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">On the other hand… I WANT MY OLD DEADPOOL BACK.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Okay, if you haven’t read Deadpool #54, I highly suggest you stop reading because I am about to totally spoil it for you; I need to get this off my chest.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Deadpool is handsome now.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Seriously. This is what Deadpool looks like now:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T79qUovzOZc/T60zHPYur4I/AAAAAAAAAmM/5twh0qkUzt0/s1600/tumblr_m3s6ln9Zwr1qlvxsko1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T79qUovzOZc/T60zHPYur4I/AAAAAAAAAmM/5twh0qkUzt0/s320/tumblr_m3s6ln9Zwr1qlvxsko1_500.png" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel weird.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;For those of you who haven’t been reading the Dead series, Deadpool has been trying to get himself killed for a while now. <a href="http://fangirlingdaily.blogspot.com/2012/03/deadpool-52_2750.html">A couple of issues ago</a>, Hydra Bob injected Deadpool with a special serum that will make him mortal. Meanwhile, Deadpool’s been pitting teams against one another and trying to master plan a fake turf war in order for someone to kill him. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Of course, strategic planning was never Deadpool’s strong suit so everything is quickly unraveling and poor Hydra Bob, Deadpool’s only real friend though he’s too crazy to realize it until it’s almost too late, is caught in the middle and now has a price on his head.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Meanwhile, that serum that Hydra Bob injected him with not only turns him mortal, but it also apparently heals his cancer, gets rid of his scars and makes his hair grow into a stupidly trendy style. It’s a little weird.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Look, when I turned the page and saw pretty boy Wade Wilson staring up at me, I didn’t quite know what to think. For one thing, I was just stunned to see what Wade really looks like as I have been crippled with that curiosity since I became a Deadpool fan. It was kind of like someone spoiling an upcoming movie I really wanted to see and I had no other reaction except, “Huh. Really?”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Another part of me just loves the fact that Wade has FINALLY realized he does have friends. For some long Wade has been rather self-pitying in his loneliness and inability to trust anyone while poor Hydra Bob has basically been flailing his arms, screaming, “I CARE ABOUT YOU! I WANT TO HELP YOU!” And of course, Wade just steps all over him.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Now, however, Way managed to put some heart into Deadpool and make him not only accountable for his actions but also aware of how they affect others. For someone who has spent countless issues desperately wanting to die, it’s just refreshing to see him finally realize his life means something to the people around him. It’s very <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bailey_%28It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life%29">George Bailey</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GrymF0SQe_Q/T60zFK-t3ZI/AAAAAAAAAmE/zSQ_cL-TxUo/s1600/tumblr_m3s2rdInkU1qb4u7no1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GrymF0SQe_Q/T60zFK-t3ZI/AAAAAAAAAmE/zSQ_cL-TxUo/s320/tumblr_m3s2rdInkU1qb4u7no1_500.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This made me so fangirlishly happy.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Yet, with this twist, everything that made Wade Wilson Deadpool is gone: his healing factor, his cancer, his love of danger and even his scars. Now I have to get used to this other guy who can die, who has a friend that he cares about and who is freakishly handsome. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">I really am curious to see where Way goes with this. I know Wade Wilson can’t stay like this forever. He’s Deadpool and Deadpool is not this guy. I mean, he used to be before Weapon X but he isn’t the Deadpool we all know and love.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">There’s been a lot of mixed reactions online to this conclusion but ultimately, I am very hopeful to see where Way takes us. Look, a little shake-up is always good in a storyline and Way did more than that. A part of me is happy Wade gets to be normal again, though I selfishly don’t want it to last.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810945672343071659.post-33480753441447456692012-05-05T14:45:00.002-04:002012-05-05T14:45:39.875-04:00Marvel's The Avengers<style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5YK3EfZoow4/T6Vz2y8rX6I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/0zB7EPPhmdc/s1600/the-avengers-clark-gregg-agent-coulson-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5YK3EfZoow4/T6Vz2y8rX6I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/0zB7EPPhmdc/s200/the-avengers-clark-gregg-agent-coulson-poster.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only poster that matters.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Director: Joss Whedon</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Writer: Joss Whedon, Zak Penn</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johanson, Samuel L. Jackson</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Here’s the thing, the first time I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel’s The Avengers</i>, I declared to some skeptical friends that it was the greatest super hero movie I’ve ever seen. They, who did not see the film yet, argued for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight</i>, which I still maintain is not a super hero movie but a crime movie that happens to star comic book characters. Said friends saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel’s The Avengers</i> and relented, saying it was extremely good.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">After a second and careful viewing, I have to say it is a nearly perfect movie: solid storyline, great pacing, awesome and not overbearing action sequences, fantastic chemistry between the many larger-than-life characters, plenty of Joss Whedon humor and a beloved character’s death. Also, everyone in this movie is gorgeous. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Seriously, this may be the best looking cast I have ever seen and if I can be superficial here for a moment: that is awesome.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">A lot has been said about this movie and <a href="http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2010/06/061410defining_the_female_gaze.html#axzz1u1FbE4eN">the female gaze</a>, a concept that has been steadily gaining traction in feminist and gender studies. <a href="http://fangirlingdaily.blogspot.com/2011/10/catwoman-1.html">I have written</a> about the male gaze in comics before, and since this is a concept that was founded in cinema studies, it makes sense to apply it to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel’s The Avengers</i>. The male gaze, or the gaze in general, is ultimately about power and dominance. Whoever holds the gaze (typically, heterosexual men) exhibits agency and dominance over the sexualized object (women). In cinema, and as I argue, in life, women are viewed merely by their bodies and as sexual objects for their male counterparts. Think of the common advertisements, posters, magazine covers, music videos, etc. and you can see the male gaze in action.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Now, as I said earlier, this film stars a handful of some terribly good-looking people, most of which are men. Black Widow is the one female Avenger and she is incredibly sexy. She is portrayed that way for the audience from her skin-tight cat suit, to her perfect eye make-up and even to her interrogation scene in the beginning of the film in which she is referred to as a “pretty face.” Nonetheless, I found Black Widow a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing character. She manipulated her sexuality and her femininity for her own gains. In a fabulous face-off sequence with Loki, she uses his assumptions of how a woman feels and reacts to endangered loved ones to get information. She is not just a pretty face and never does the audience feel that she is trying to compensate for her womanhood. She is a world-class assassin; that’s it.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Meanwhile, a lot of comments, often amusedly and very often sexistly, have been made about the hotness of the male Avengers. The latest issue of People Magazine features this photo-shoot: </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ap-cn1QOuQ/T6V0BDUIJdI/AAAAAAAAAlY/wVLgYigrdrc/s1600/tumblr_m3ie39cW6H1qe3n2wo1_r1_250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ap-cn1QOuQ/T6V0BDUIJdI/AAAAAAAAAlY/wVLgYigrdrc/s320/tumblr_m3ie39cW6H1qe3n2wo1_r1_250.jpg" width="232" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRkuAV4eG9U/T6V0DiMTjsI/AAAAAAAAAlg/hNOFZm1yfHg/s1600/tumblr_m3ie39cW6H1qe3n2wo2_r1_250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRkuAV4eG9U/T6V0DiMTjsI/AAAAAAAAAlg/hNOFZm1yfHg/s320/tumblr_m3ie39cW6H1qe3n2wo2_r1_250.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Also jokes abound about Captain America and Hawkeye’s tight costumes and of course, Loki’s legions of fangirls. In fact, this is one of the first action movies that I can recall that I’ve noticed this profound attention paid to the fact that women (my God, WOMEN!) want to see and enjoy it. Most of the people I have talked to and discussed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel’s The Avengers</i> with have been women and they all love it and want to see it again. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">So where does that leave us? Is it equality to switch the gaze around so that women possess it? What does it mean to objectify the male body rather than the female in a big budget popular film? Was that even the film’s intention or are we simply protecting onto it as a society?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ultimately, I wish more than anything that the mere fact that women would want to see a super hero movie were not considered surprising or alarming. There have been plenty of <a href="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2012/05/02/moviefones-girls-guide-to-the-avengers/">sexist</a>and <a href="http://voices.yahoo.com/the-avengers-hot-hunky-heroes-keep-female-viewers-11298414.html">demeaning</a>responses to<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Marvel’s The Avengers</i>and its female audience. It’s as if the kneejerk reaction to seeing women line up to see an action comic book movie and being genuinely excited for it is too much to comprehend. Therefore, they MUST be in it for the eye-candy. What else could explain it? Women don’t read or care about comic books but they sure do love muscles. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I am angered by this sentiment and the fact that so many of these responses try to backpedal by claiming to be tongue-in-cheek. No, that is not a free pass to dismiss women. In fact, by focusing so much on how female audience members are objectifying the male characters only, these women are reduced to one-dimensional sexual beings. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">The gaze in general, whether male or female, is troublesome. Furthermore, it is difficult to shed because of how it is shoved down our throats in society. We see here with interviews that part of the marketing of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel’s The Avengers</i> seemed to focus on the gaze and sexual objectification, rather than the strengths of the film itself.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VxuDnYMhnfU/T6V0XaTMZOI/AAAAAAAAAlo/b8VWBOXpDBw/s1600/tumblr_m36tt49BCh1rthy6ko1_r3_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VxuDnYMhnfU/T6V0XaTMZOI/AAAAAAAAAlo/b8VWBOXpDBw/s1600/tumblr_m36tt49BCh1rthy6ko1_r3_500.gif" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRBX5K4VvkI/T6V0djjw4yI/AAAAAAAAAlw/PA2IcZtJ9-Q/s1600/tumblr_m3887ycRYI1rrit0io5_r1_400.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the Chrises are tired of this objectification</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing">&nbsp;<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Of course, I am happy to see a film in which it is not only the female characters that are wearing those skin-tight, kind of nonsensical outfits. I also like talking about which Avenger I would most like to date (Coulson, in case you were wondering, though technically he isn’t an Avenger) with friends but that is only a portion of why I love <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marvel’s The Avengers</i>. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt;">I love it simply because it’s a great film. I love it because I love comic books and this did justice to some of my favorite characters. Like the millions of others who have also seen and enjoyed<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Marvel’s The Avengers</i>, I love it because it was everything I could want in a super hero movie. The attractiveness of the actors is merely an afterthought. </span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10132852904500153199noreply@blogger.com1